The Forsaken Hero
by Inatorinator
Summary: In a world where Slade has established world domination and has eliminated almost all the heroes in existence, one bright light shines amidst the darkness. However, that "light" must deal with being alone, forcefully forsaken by his family, peers, and friends. He must emerge a hero. He must change the world and defeat Slade. An AU fic with an OC Red X; Rated M only for language
1. Chapter 1: A hero's birth

(A/N: Alright guys, here's the prologue to the story. I'm hoping that it just sets up the main character, who I guess you guys know will become later in the story. Hopefully I'm not too obvious about what's going to happen and who everyone is, but I digress: Enjoy (I hope))

The Forsaken Hero

Abandoned. That is a feeing Red X is all too familiar with. Feeling abandoned by his parents, friends and everyone else, Red X must come to terms with who he truly is, and stop a terrible plot from coming to fruition…..

**Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans (you probably already know that). This is just an AU fanfic with an OC Red X**

Prologue: The birth of a hero

"_But Why?" _was all that Alex could wonder as he pounded his fists against the wall. _"How could they…everyone abandoned me!" _ His room was dark, dreary, and simply only served the purpose of sleeping, nothing else. It wasn't the paint peeling off of the walls, the broken window in his room, or even the hardness of his bed that caused his grief. For any normal person, his living conditions would have been appalling, but Alex was not normal. _"If only mom could see me now…" _Alex thought to himself as he chuckled. He remembered that day 8 years ago as if they were just yesterday…..

~~_Flashback_~~

_It was a normal day at first, as he, an eight year old boy, was watching his father fix a motorcycle. Alex couldn't help but wonder how the motorcycle worked, or how his father was able to fix it. The handlebars of the vehicle shined brilliantly under the intense rays of the sun. Ever since school finished a week ago, Alex had been spending more time with his dad. He had always wondered where his mom was. All he knew was that she "went on a very long trip and might never come back". He had grown lonely without his mother, but his father was there for him, having him help with building or fixing things. This was something Alex came to really enjoy. Unbeknownst to his father, Alex had a gift. It wasn't super strength, invisibility, the power to fly, or even any other super power he had read about in comic books. He could look at something and see exactly what it was made of, how he could manipulate or create something out of it, and could analyze and predict all the possible situations that arose from that object, person, or action. Right now, with his eight-year-old mind, Alex was pondering how to turn that motorcycle his father was working on into a rocket to the moon. _

_But then…it happened. A man knocked on the door, and Alex went to answer it._

_ "Hello young lad, I'm looking for your father. Is he around?", asked the man._

_ "Sure. Dad, someone here's here to see you!", he exclaimed happily._

_Alex couldn't help but wonder why this man was here, but he shrugged it off. While he went off to his room and was busy converting his watch into a portable television so he could watch cartoons on it, he could here the conversation of his father and the other man due to the thin walls of their tenement above the garage where his father worked. _

"_Sir…I'm so sorry. Your wife….she was making a speedy recovery in the hospital….But then….someone came…and h-he…took her life. He…left this for you", said the man._

"_It…It-It can't be….He's back!", yelled Alex's father, who was filled with anguish, anger, and above all else, a thirst for vengeance._

_A while later, the man left, and his father came and sat next to him._

_ "Son? What's that you're making?", asked his dad._

"_Dad, this is gonna be great! I'm going to turn this watch into a TV, just you wait! It's gonna be awesome!", exclaimed Alex._

"_Son, I'm sure it's going to work, and it'll be great", replied his father as he chuckled at his son's work. "Listen son", he said as his face suddenly turned serious. "I'm going to go out later tonight. I-I've got to take care of something. I'll probably return, but if I don't, Know this: I love you son."_

_As his father left the room, Alex continued to work on his invention, completely unaware that this was the last time he would ever see his father again. _

_~~End~~_

"_Father! Why'd you have to go? Why'd you leave me? What did you have to do?" _thought Alex as he sat on his bed, distraught over what had happened 8 years ago. Soon however, he was disturbed from his thoughts by a voice.

"Seriously dude. Could ya stop hitting the wall?" It's getting really hard to sleep up here with you making all that noise", said the voice.

"Yeah, sorry about that Yingwen", replied Alex. "Sometimes, I just can't stop these memories from coming back."

"Don't worry about that Alex. I guess since we're both up now, we should probably see if here's any breakfast left", said Yingwen.

"Fine", answered Alex. "But I've got dibs on the shower first."

Before Yingwen could reply, Alex raced up to the bathroom. He stared into the mirror. What he saw was his own reflection—his gravity defying spiky hair that stayed the way it was no matter what he did to it, his sharp green eyes that had the hints of sadness, pain, and grief, his sharp high cheekbones and chin, all topped off with a grimace, as Alex sighed to himself. _"I can't seem to help it. Except for the eyes, I look so much like dad." _With memories of his father coming back to him, he couldn't help but smile as he showered and got ready for the day. But as his memories went back to that day, his smile turned into a frown. _"Why did you have to go Dad?"_

Ever since the passing of both of his parents, he had been forced to reside in an orphanage on the outskirts of Jump City until he turned 18. His father, in his will, didn't leave behind a great sum of money, or something like that. He left behind a note which said, "_Son, I love you so much. Just remember, look beyond what you see."_ , and a small rock of some sort. Soon after coming to the orphanage, Alex had befriended Yingwen, a young Chinese boy his age who lost both of his parents as well. The two were inseparable, and had been roommates at Jump City Orphanage for the past 8 years. As his best friend, Alex could tell Yingwen anything, and as he looked at Yingwen as his friend exited the bathroom, ready for the day, his mind went off._ Subject observed. Identity: Yingwen. Status: Best Friend: Possible actions: Make a joke, Go to breakfast. _

"Well, come on Alex! We don't want to be left with the "Breakfast Special" again, do we?", said Yingwen as he waited for his friend.

"You're right. Let's go", he replied.

Unfortunately, Yingwen was right. They _were_ left with the infamous "Breakfast Special": two pieces of French toast, two scrambled eggs, and five strips of bacon. The breakfast looked delicious, but his mind told him otherwise. _Subject: Breakfast_

_Status: Food. Contents: Although it appears to be delicious food on the outside, it is composed of rotten fish, curdled milk, and moldy bread. Calorie content: 700 Calories. Possible actions: Only one: DO NOT EAT! _ Satisfied that his mind advised him once more, he couldn't help but laugh at his friend, who was devouring the breakfast.

"Don't tell me…..", said Yingwen. "The food's bad isn't it…"

"Yep, now if I were you, I _definitely _wouldn't eat it.", replied Alex as he laughed at Yingwen's face. "Remember what happened to Fred?"

~~_Flashback~~_

_Fred was one of their friends who absolutely loved to ea. He lived, breathed, slept, and even dreamt of food, whether it was a sandwich, a hamburger, or even a potato chip. _

_It was one of those days where both roommates had overslept and were late to breakfast. Fred was there, as usual, devouring the New "Breakfast Special", which had been added to the breakfast serving schedule. However, that day, there was something in the special that didn't agree with Fred too well, and he was taken to the hospital, never to be seen again. _

_That is what everyone thought had happened. Unbeknownst to everyone else, Alex had tried to warn Fred of the danger while he was eating._

"_Fred, you do realize what is in the food right? It could fucking kill you!", said Alex._

"_HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT FOOD COULD EVER BE DANGEROUS!" yelled Fred as he tried to lash out at Alex with his generously sized arms. It was a rare occurrence, as Fred actually stopped eating._

_However, Alex, who was extremely agile for someone his age and had seen Fred coming from a mile a way, dodged Fred's attack and kneed him hard in the gut. It was this that caused Fred's to have to go to the hospital, but Alex moved faster than the human eye. Even though the food was bad, Fred survived the food. What he hadn't survived was the retaliation of a certain 16 year old teen._

_~~End~~_

"Aww man, it tasted really good too! Ah well, you're right though.. No one wants to turn out like Fred", said Yingwen, as both chuckled at Yingwen's reply.

After finishing breakfast, the two came went to do the chores assigned to them, well one of them did. Yingwen, because he lost their bet on who would win the NBA Finals, had to do both of their chores, which suited Alex just fine. While his friend was doing the chores, Alex sat down, looking at the rock that his father had left him. _Subject: Xynthonium: a valuable substance that is very reactive and could be used for a myriad of things. Status: While it is unstable and can have negative effects when used in large amounts, this small amount of the substance is not lethal to you. Possible Actions: Anything. However, it would be best to save it for when the time is right. _

All Alex had to remind him of his dad were these two things: the note, now weathered with age, and the palm-sized Xynthonium. And although he was happy with where he was now, he still felt…..utterly alone.

As he was musing in his thoughts, Alex head a loud CRASH and a scream for help coming from the kitchens. _"Oh no…Yingwen….." _Alex ran as fast as he could to the kitchens, but by then, it was too late.

Alex's fears were realized as he saw his friend's limp body on the kitchen floor of the orphanage. Yingwen's breathing was rushed, and he was coughing out blood.

"Yingwen, no! Don't die on me! Don't leave me! Come on. Just stay awake. Listen to my voice", said Alex as he desperately saw his friend bleeding out, and there was nothing that he could even do about it. _Subject: Yingwen. Status: Critical condition, he is bleeding out. Death is imminent in several minutes. Possible actions: None. It is too late. "Damn it!" _

"Sorry Alex, I-I t-t-tried t-to f-f-fi-fight h-him off b-by th-throwing these p-plates at h-him, b-but it d-did-didn't w-work. It's F-Fred, h-he's b-back. It-it's t-too late f-or me. Ev-every-yone else is d-dead. R-run while you still c-can."

And with those words, his best friend passed on, leaving Alex truly alone once more.

He stared at his friend's now dead body, the x-shaped wound which killed him, and the blood and gore that filled the room. _"Damn it! What the hell? Yingwen…No…..NOOOO! I-I'll find Fred an-and avenge you. That I promise" _With tears running down his pale face, Alex ran off, looking for the person who would pay for this, Fred.

It wasn't too hard to find the behemoth that was Fred. Alex followed the crashing noises until he came to the room where he found a giant purple monster, who although super strong and packed to the brim with muscles upon muscles, was blind. _"Damn…is that….Fred? What…..happened to him?"_

"ALEX! WHERE ARE YOU? YOU DID THIS TO ME! I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU!", yelled the monster, as he thrashed about, running through walls, breaking furniture, and pounded the ground with his many fists.

"_No…..Fred's here…..because of….me…It's all my fault…..Because of me, everyone….is…dead…..But I can't stop now….I made a promise…. And Fred, Fred did all of this…He killed everyone here at the orphanage….I may have caused this, but Fred….he took everyone away from me."_

"I won't forgive you Fred! This ends now!", yelled Alex.

"HAHAHAHAHA. ALEX? IS THAT YOU? 'CUZ IF IT IS, GETT READY TO DIE!", proclaimed Fred as he charged Alex.

Time seem to slow down. Alex was drawn back to the scene where his best friend's body was, lying prostrate on the ground. His mind went back to that x shaped wound—the blood, the gore, his friend's death. He pulled out the Xynthonium from his pocket, and as he concentrated, the substance transformed into an X.

"You're wrong Fred. My name, is Red X."

_Subject: Fred, a now giant muscle bound monster charging at you. Speed: 10 mph Possible actions: Shift to the side at the last moment to evade then do a sweeping kick to knock the behemoth off his feet. OR Somersault over Fred's head, land on his back, then use a series of jabs to knock him unconscious. _

Alex chose the second option, and time seemed to return to normal. As Fred was about to charge into and ram and him, Alex somersaulted over Fred and landed on his back. With several jabs to Fred's neck, he passed out.

With the enemy defeated, Alex stared at the X in his hand. _Subject: Xynthonium. It appears to have transformed into an X shaped wrist blade. Possible reasons why: Xynthonium reacts to your emotions, your intentions. All you have to do is concentrate, and the Xynthonium will do your bidding. Possible actions: With everyone else dead, there are two options. Either stay here and wait until the authorities come, where they will ship you off to a faraway orphanage for two years, or you leave this place ad strike out on your own._

Alex looked up to the sky, smiling at first, but his smile then turned into a friend. _"Dad might still be alive….I need to find him! Where are you Dad? Why did you leave me?" _The silence consumed Alex once more, and he was left completely and undeniably alone for yet another time in his life.

**End Chapter**

Chapter's done…At least I think for now. Anyways, sorry if it's starting off kinda slow. I think the next chapter will be the one which will get the plot rolling. This is just the intro. This is my first fic, so I'm still really working out the kinks/trying to figure out what works and what doesn't. Any feedback is much appreciated.

-Thanks,

Inatorinator


	2. Chapter 2: Ancestral Mystery

The Forsaken Hero

**Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans, or any of the characters in the show (just putting that out there…..)**

Chapter 2: Ancestral Mystery

The streets of jump were completely unrecognizable to Alex as he left the orphanage. The somewhat peaceful, safe streets of his childhood were now shells of their former selves, marred by garbage, gangs, litter, and violence. Gunshots could be heard at every moment. _"What happened to this place? How could everything have changed?"_ His thoughts were interrupted by screams of help from a nearby alleyway.

"HELP! NO! WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME! AH- GET AWAY FROM ME!", screamed a woman..

"There's _no one_ that can save you now", said her attackers, as they forced her into a corner and started to rip her clothes off of her body.

"NO! NO! no….Please…don't", whimpered the victim. But it was all for naught, as the attackers continued to force themselves on upon her.

Alex couldn't help but look on in disgust. _Subject: Unknown woman currently being mugged by 4 men. Possible Actions: Save her or walk away. Suggestion: Walk Away. The odds are against you. There is a 85% chance that you will lose the conflict and will end up mutilated, or worse dead. "Damn it! I can't do a thing! If I leave, she'll be raped! But if I interfere, I'll end up dead. What can I do?" Dad wouldn't leave he alone like this…At least, I don't think he would…..Well…here goes nothing….._

He took out the piece of Xynthonium, and concentrated. "_Come on! I need to focus!"_ The substance transformed into a wrist blade once more, and Alex jumped into the alley, prepared to strike at the attackers. _Subject: muggers attempting to rape a woman. Status: Hostile, caution is advised. Situation predicted: Men will lash out against you if you charge in. battle will most definitely ensue. Possible Actions: It may be possible to sneak and pick off each man one at a time. Or one can simply charge in an hope for the best. Option 1 is advised._

As Alex looked on at the situation, he realized that he had no time to sneak around; he needed to act now. So against the advice of his mind, he charged in with his Xynthonium wrist blade, trying to make a difference. What happened next occurred faster than his mind could comprehend. He charged in, and impaled one of the muggers in the stomach. When another turned and tried to kick him, Alex raised his forearm up and blocked it easily. With his opponent left open, he quickly impaled the man and turned to face the others. The remaining 2 men pulled out guns saying, "Don't move you son of a bitch." But even before Alec could think of how he would get out of this situation, he subconsciously ducked, avoiding both gunshots, and lunged at the two men, leaving their lifeless bodies on the floor of the alleyway.

By the time that he was fully aware of what had happened, it was already done. His clothes, and body were stained with the blood of those he killed. He knelt down to the woman he "saved" hoping that she was alright.

"Mam, is….everything alright? Are you hurt?"

"G-Get a-away f-from me? What are you, you monster!", she replied as she backed away from him and ran off, leaving Alex to his own thoughts.

"_She's right….I am a monster….. How would mom and dad think of me now? I'm…no hero like one of those guys in the comic books…No….I'm…. a monster…" _As Alex stared at the bodies of the muggers, the memories of what happened came back to him, and he felt ashamed, ashamed of his act, his lack of self control, and most of all, of who he was. He sighed to himself, remembering what he had learned over the years. _"What's done is done. I can't keep living in the past. I can't wish that things were different, otherwise my parents would still be alive and I would have never murdered those men. But I can learn from my mistakes. There's all this crime and violence in the city. I can atone for my sins by making a difference. Maybe …just maybe…that might be enough."_

Despite the fact that Alex was now determined to become a true hero, he didn't know what to do next. He meandered down several streets, witnessing several crimes, rapes, and muggings occur, yet he feared that if he interfered with anything, then his actions would only cause death and bloodshed, as they had before. As he walked down several streets he noticed that no one was attempting to rape, mug, or even pickpocket him. _"I seriously wonder why nothing is happening to me. I wouldn't really care if anything did though. But I need to find Dad…..What street was our apartment on? Hmm….maybe I can find some clues to where he's gone…." _

Alex looked up at the street sign on the corner, and although it was painted black, blue, and yellow with graffiti, he could still make out what the sign said. _Subject: Street Sign, covered with graffiti. What It says: McCadam Street._ _"McCadam street…wait that's where I used to live!" _thought Alex as he raced down the street. Everything was there as he remembered it. The garage, although worse for wear, was still there, though it appeared that no one had used it or even had lived or worked here in a long time. As he walked up the creaky steps to his family's dilapidated tenement, he was surprised to find that no one was home, and just like the garage, it appeared that no one had been here for a while. A thick layer of dust covered everything. Alex turned to the table, hearing the sound of multiple footsteps. _Subject: Unknown, working on determining what it is….. Clues: It appears that the pattern to the sound of the footsteps indicate that the subject is smaller than human—most likely an animal of some kind. Couple that with the layer of dust, and—Identity Confirmed: Either multiple rats or cockroaches._ Relieved that there was no one coming, Alex wandered around the small rooms of his old home, careful not to step too hard for that would cause the floor to collapse. He couldn't help it if memories seemed to come back to him, no matter how much he tried to hold them back.

_~~Flashback~~_

_ "Dad, what's going on?", asked a younger version of Alex._

_ "Son…HAPPY BIRTHDAY!", said his father as he led him into the apartment._

_Everyone was there—his mom, grandparents and friends, all of whom would later be dead. Everyone had a really good time. The scent of the food, the laughter, everything there was a surprise to Alex, but a surprise nevertheless. The day, probably the happiest in his life, went by so quickly. They played games, and ate delicious food. What finally ended the day was the birthday cake, homemade without a doubt, but meaningful to Alex. He had never had a birthday cake before, and he wondered why there was one for this occasion._

"_Dad, why is there a cake today? I mean…I love cake, but we've never had one before. What's going on?"_

"_Son, don't worry about it…We'll talk about it tomorrow. For now, just enjoy your birthday, and….you better get ready to avoid the Tickle Monster!", said his dad as he suddenly chased after Alex, arms outstretched, until he caught him and started to tickle him._

"_Dad! HAHAHAH, PLEASE! HAHAHAHAHA!"_

_~~End~~_

Alex couldn't help but chuckle as he remembered that day. However, his smile soon turned into a frown as he remembered what happened the day following his 8th birthday.

_~~Flashback~~_

_ "Son, we need to talk."_

_ "Why dad? What's going on?", asked Alex as he was busy solving a Rubik's cube. _

"_Son…..It's your mother….She's…She's going away for a long, long time. I don't know when she'll be back. It's just going to be you and me for a while, ok?"_

"_WHY?", yelled Alex as he broke down in tears, and ran out of the room._

_~~End~~_

He shook his head and wiped the sweat that had formed on his brow. _"I've got to stop thinking about those times. They're too painful…..What's done is done….."_ He turned to go into his own old room, but then stopped himself. _"No…I can't…..It's still too painful…I don't want to bring back even more memories…."_ He found himself staring at what had once been his father's old room. It had always been dark and mysterious to Alex, and he had never gone in there, even when he was younger. _"I've always wondered what Dad's room looked like…..Well, here goes nothing….."_ Alex found himself slowly pushing open the door to his father's room and wasn't surprised with what he found. What he saw was a normal bed, albeit a dust covered one, a broken lamp, and a set of drawers. _"I should've known. Dad's room's just like mine, except…maybe a little bit more dreary…." _As he turned to depart from his dad's room, a sharp sound went off in his head, causing him to fall to one knee in pain. "_Look beyond what you see….." _ The pain subsided as fast as it had originally come, and Alex turned again to look into his father's room. It was then that he noticed a patch of the wall that lacked the dust, which covered everything else. _Subject: A plain, ordinary wall. There may be something concealed within it. It poses no threat to you. _Alex walked over and placed his hand on the wall.

"Identity confirmed. Welcome Alex," said a voice as the wall receded, revealing a winding staircase that led down to who knows where.

"_Well….that's strange…..I wonder what's in here….." Subject: Mysterious Stairwell. Status: Nonhostile, Possibility that dangers may wait at the bottom. Discretion is advised." _Taking a deep breath, Alex descended down the mysterious stairwell, not too surprised that the wall slid close, leaving him with only one direction to go: forward.

As he reached the bottom of the stairs, what he saw was not another dilapidated, run-down room, but instead a hi-tech room, like one he would have seen in a sci-fi movie. _"Whoa, what is this place?"_ He was interrupted from his awe by a huge screen which suddenly turned on. On it was someone whom he never thought he would see again.

"Hello son. We need to talk."

**End Chapter 2**

Hope you guys enjoyed the second chapter! I originally wrote this before the prologue, and I'm going to be working on the next chapter (hopefully should be out in a couple days….) Anyways, I know it's probably predictable and everything, and my writing style isn't the greatest, but seriously, any feedback, good or bad, is appreciated. I'm not one of those people who get angry for no reviews. I honestly just want to know how you guys think I could make the story better.

Some important questions I still have to answer:

Who is Alex's father?

How does he get the suit?

Why am I still writing this instead of going on to the next chapter?

-Inatorinator


	3. Chapter 3: A Father's Failure

The Forsaken Hero

**Disclaimer: I don't own any characters/the show teen titans (Just putting that out there right now…..)**

Chapter 3: A father's failure

"Dad, is that you?", asked Alex, hoping against hope that his father was in fact alive.

"Son, I know that you must be asking me several questions right now, but this is a pre-recorded message. If you are listening to this, then that means, that I did not return that night, and it means that…I am dead. _"NO! It…can't be true…"_ I have a lot to tell you son, but I know that this is not the best way to say goodbye, but I hope that since you're now older, you will understand my motives. Let me start from the beginning. You've probably already figured out that your mother never went away on some long trip, the truth is that she got sick due to the fact that she was staying on Earth for far too long. Unknown to all of us, her body was slowly degrading with every second she spent on Earth, due to different climate, foods, and air concentrations. By the time we figured it out, it was too late. No medicine could save her. She would have lived for maybe 2-3 more years, but then _he_ showed up. His name is Slade. And chances are, he is the man that killed both me and your mother.

You're probably wondering how everything around you in this room came to be right now, and the answer is…..well, maybe this will explain things better. Alex, everything you read in those superhero comic books are true. They are records of the accomplishments of heroes gone by. Superheroes exist, or at least used to exist. As far as I know, I am the last hero remaining, and since I am now dead, the world is devoid of heroes. Several years back, Slade enacted a plan that wiped any being with "true" super powers off of the face of the earth. Luckily, your mother was off planet at the time, or else, you would have been killed as well son. Son, I…have a confession to make….I'm a super hero as well. I don't have any super powers, but I tried to make the world a better place. I used to be a member of a team of super heroes. We called ourselves the Teen Titans…..Those were some of the happiest days in my life. We fought crime, made Jump a safer place, and even fought Slade head to head many times. But we eventually failed, and Slade succeeded in his plan…..With me out of the picture, Slade has most likely achieved world domination by now, and it's something that I never wanted. I wanted to make the world a better place for you, son, but it seems that I have failed. And for that, I'm…so sorry son…. You're probably wondering why I left you only a note and a small rock, which you've probably already discovered to be Xynthonium, and the answer, is this:"

As Alex's father said this, a hole opened up in the floor, and out of it rose a pedestal with a black jumpsuit on it. _"What the hell is this? Is it….a suit"_

"This is my greatest creation, but it is also my greatest curse. In my past, I used this suit to try to get to Slade, but in the process, I hurt those that I loved the most. But what's done is done. The suit is one of the most powerful things in existence, and it is powered by that rock you have in your hand. Xynthonium is the key. It allows the suit to truly work to its potential. However, the suit consumes Xynthonium, so you must keep it supplied with the rare substance. I leave the suit to you my son. Use it wisely. "

His father got up and started to pace around, as if he were trying to find the right words to say. _"Damn it Dad, come on, say something, anything!" _Minutes went by before he began to speak once again.

"Son, the world needs a hero. I never wanted to place a burden on you, and I still don't want to, but I know that you can change the world. Son, you always have a choice, and you have one right now. Take the suit, and make use of it. However it is up to you to truly decide who you are and what you will become. Goodbye son. I love you."

The screen faded to black, and once more, Alex was left alone again. _"Damn it! What the hell am I supposed to do now?" Subject: Black Jumpsuit; Appears to be in a dormant state. Most likely activated upon coming into contact with Xynthonium. Composition: 85% spandex, 10% Titanium 5% unknown. Possible Actions: There is but one thing to do. Put the suit on._ Alex walked over and examined the suit more closely, unsure of whether he should follow what both his dad and mind told him to do.

"_Dad…Dad was a hero….. Could I, after everything that I've done, do the same? This suit can make the difference. No… I'll never be the kind of hero Dad was, but I've got to at least give it a shot. I'm gonna regret this later….." _Alex took the suit, albeit hesitantly, and put it on. It didn't make him feel any different. _"Well that's weird, I always thought that the suit made you better. Or else why would heroes wear spandex? Oh well…." _He pressed the piece of Xynthonium onto his chest, only to observe it as it was absorbed into the suit. _"Ah-WHAT IS THIS! It's burning up!"_ AN intense burning sensation overcame Alex, causing him to scream in agony. _"What the hell is going on? Fuck!" Subject: Suit. It appears to be bonding to your flesh. Status: Lethal, the process may or may not result in death. Process evaluated: 25% _The suit seared his skin, and the physical pain was far greater than anything Alex had ever experienced. _"This can't be the end, can it? Just a few seconds longer…." 50% _Alex screamed in pain as the suit burned past his skin, and into his entire being. The difference between the suit and his skin were now nonexistent. The suit was his skin now. _Process nearly complete, 90%. _

By now, Alex had become all too accustomed to the searing pain that the suit had caused him. But as soon as that happened, the pain stopped. _Process complete._ He stared at his now black arm (remember the suit is black) and marveled at how great he felt. _"I knew it! The suit does help you. So that's why Superman wears spandex underwear!"_ He felt faster, stronger, more agile than before, and his mind had fully integrated with the suit. _Power level: 75%; It is advised that more Xynthonium be found just in case. "Hmmm…..I need a mask to conceal my identity…If people know what I look like, then I'll never be safe. Maybe this'll do…." _ He picked up a nearby sheet of metal, and willed the suit to produce his wrist blade once more. _Subject: sheet of metal. Objective: Turn metal into mask. Possible actions: Use wrist blade to cut the desired shape. Create a polymer that will serve as a cushioning element, while also making the mask breathable as well. Install a failsafe mechanism just in case an enemy tries to take off the mask. Use a welding torch to shape the mask and combine the polymer and failsafe mechanism within the mask. Integrate mask sensors with the mind, further allowing your mind to be able to read and react to certain situations. "Hmm….Well that doesn't seem too hard"_

Within several hours, his work was completed. And as he looked into the mirror, he no longer saw Alex, but instead saw who he was: Red X. _"Wait a minute…I can't go out in public like this! How can I conceal my identity if the suit is a part of me now?" _ _ Request acknowledged. _As if on command, the suit faded away, revealing his "normal" clothes and skin. _"Wow, this is awesome! I've got to test this suit out, but not now, maybe later…."_ He exited his father's base and emerged to find the streets of Jump once again in total disarray. _"Whoa, and I thought before was bad…It looks like things only got worse since it's night now." _Buildings were on fire, gangs prowled the street, and Sladebots (technically Red X doesn't know what sladebots are right now, but it saves time just to put that out there now.) were found on every street corner. _"Damn, it's time like this where I wonder how the orphanage even survived….I never could've imagined that Jump was as bad as this…" _

He was interrupted from his thoughts by the screams of a little girl, as she was running towards him.

"HELP ME! HELP ME! PLEASE SIR!", she yelled in between tears while attaching herself to Alex's leg.

"Don't worry, everything's going to be ok", he said as he knelt down, trying to console the distraught girl. In doing so, he failed to notice the twenty armed men approaching him.

"Sonny, be a good lad and give the girl back to us. Maybe, just maybe, we might _not_ kill you", spoke a machine gun armed brute, most likely the leader of the 20 men.

Alex lifted his head up glaring at the 20 men. _Subject: 20 armed, hostile, gang members. Caution is advised. Seem to be adamant about getting this girl. Possible actions: Do what father would have wanted. Use the suit for good. Protect the girl from these men. "Hmm…Let's see, I've got to concentrate…..I must save her…."_ Alex clenched his fists, and in seconds his suit emerged, resulting in a fully clad Red X.

"You're going to wish you hadn't just said that.", said Alex

Time seemed to sow down as he made his move. _Subject: Armed middle Aged man. Weaknesses observed: Favors right leg slightly while standing, indicates that in the past either broke his left leg, or is naturally more favorable towards his right side. Possible Action: To Exploit this, perform a quick series of jabs to his left side, throwing him off balance and causing him to fall to his right, hitting his head on the pavement and therefore becoming unconscious. _Alex lunged at the man faster than the eye could see and quickly disabled his target yielding him unconscious. He turned around to see five men raising their guns, ready to fire at him immediately. _Subject: 5 armed men using Mac-10 automatic weapons. 34 rounds per magazine, firing rate of 2 seconds per magazine. Possible Actions: Evade bullets until subjects need to reload. Then make your move. _As the men fired their weapons, the bullets appeared to be moving in slow motion to him. He quickly phased in and out of places in the men's line of vision, as the bullets whizzed by in the space where he had been previously. Soon one man had to reload his weapon. _"Gotcha!" _lex phased behind the man, knocking his target unconscious. _"2 down, 18 more to go…" _The other 4 men, seeing how he had dispatched of two of their comrades, dropped their guns, and instead pulled out their switchblades.

"Shit! I reckon that he's too fast for these damn guns. Looks like we're going to have to do this the old fashioned way boys." Said the leader, snickering as he and all of his men charged Alex together.

_Subject: 18 men armed with switchblades charging at you. Speeds varying from 8-10 mph. They have you surrounded. Evasion extremely unlikely at this close distance. Possible action: Due to their running, they are susceptible to attacks to the legs, which will cause their momentum to make them fall face first into the ground. _Alex performed a sweeping kick at two of the men closest to him, causing them to collide with two others running toward him from the opposite direction. _"6 down, 14 to go….."_ He quickly launched himself into the air, avoiding two more men, who collided into each other and collapsed from the impact onto the sidewalk. 4 men, realizing that a collision was futile, threw their knives at him mid-run. _Subject: knives. Speeds varying from 20-30 miles an hour. Possible Actions: It is imperative to stop the knives from reaching you. Any punch or kick may cause damage to you. It is advised that you redirect the knives somehow. _Alex focused and fired an X at the knives, unsure of what it would do. The X exploded upon impact, stopping the knives in their tracks while also providing him with cover for his next move. He quickly ran through the smoke and elbowed two men to the face while performing a hurricane kick to finish the other two. When the smoke cleared, there were only 8 men left. _Caution: Xynthonium levels at 50% following previous use. "Damn it! I knew I should've done something differently…"_

"Had enough yet? Looks like more than half of your men are down, and I'm not even warmed up yet" , said Alex as he crossed his arms.

"Why you—HEY where are you going?" yelled the leader as the 7 remaining men ran off, screaming various "He's a monster!", "Shit! I don't want to die!", and "I'm outta here!"

"So, you want to run off too? This is a one-time offer. Leave and don't bother this girl or anyone else again."

"Fat chance boy! You're pretty good, but I'm in a whole 'nother league. Get ready for a world of hurt!" yelled the leader as he began to charge.

_Subject: Name unknown. A middle aged man, in peak physical condition. Speed: 20 mph. Possible Actions: An easy way would be any attack to his back. It should cause him to fall forward" _Alex phased behind the man and attempted to knock him out with a quick chop to the neck. However, he was shocked to find his blow blocked by his target.

"So…thought you could get me that easily huh? Well eat this!" he said as he punch Alex in the stomach and then finished him off with two kicks to his side, propelling Alex into three nearby garbage cans.

"_How could I be so careless?" Suit repairs underway. Caution: This will consume approximately 25% of your Xynthonium reserves._ _"Whoa! The suit can repair itself? That's great…Oh shit…my Xynthonium reserves will only be at 25% now!" _Alex struggled to his feet, grimacing in pain as he stared down his enemy.

"Had enough yet you pipsqueak?" said the man as he began too chuckle. "This is way too easy! And here I thought you would be a—"

"I'm sorry, were you about to say "challenge"?" asked Alex as he elbowed the leader in the stomach, causing him to gasp in pain.

However, the leader was not down for the count just yet. He grabbed one of Alex's legs and hurled him into the wall of a nearby building faster than Alex could anticipate. The collision cause the building to collapse, and Alex could swear that he heard several of his bones breaking. _"Gah- this is gonna be so sore tomorrow…..I've got to end this quick. I don't know how much more I can take of this…"_

"_Here goes nothing…"_ Alex rose from the rubble of the building, raising both hands forward. It appeared that he was going to fire twin Xs at his enemy, but at the last second, he phased behind the man and then fired both Xs, which exploded upon impact, surrounding his target with sticky goo.

"Bah…What is this?"

"Honestly, I don't know. But it got you good.", said Alex as he got up and went to check on the little girl from before, only to discover that she had disappeared.

He then departed into the shadows once more, before suddenly collapsing in exhaustion. _"What's going on? I shouldn't be this tired from running already… Maybe it's because of before. I guess—" WARNING: Xynthonium levels have been at 0%. The suit has been drawing from your life source in order to power it. It is advised that the suit not be used and must lay dormant, or your life shall end in several hours of using the suit without Xynthonium. _

_ "Damn it…" _The exhaustion was soon too great for Alex, and soon he embraced the loneliness of sleep once more…..

**End Chapter**

Hope you guys have enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing! Any feedback is welcome/appreciated. I hope to update in a couple of days, that is if time permits. If I have to work overtime this week, expect the next chapter by next week.


	4. Chapter 4: A Predicament of Sorts

The Forsaken Hero

**Disclaimer: I do not own the show Teen Titans, or any characters in the show (Just putting that out there right now)**

Chapter 4: A Predicament of sorts

By the time Alex awoke the sun was high in the sky. _"Ah man…my head's killing me, and my body…it feels like jello….Wait where am I? And is this garbage? How long have I been out? OH NO….What happened to the suit?" WARNING: Xynthonium levels are still at 0%. Suit has been forced to remain dormant until more Xynthonium, is procured due to your low life force. "Oh…ok….well at least I know where the suit is now….." _He proceeded to get up from his "bed" (he had collapsed on several garbage pails the night before) and clear the garbage from his clothes. Alex, now fully awake, got up and started to walk the streets of Jump once more, thinking of a purpose.

The streets seemed more peaceful than they were a day before, and no crimes were taking place so far. However, the gangs were still there, roaming the streets, just not as violent as they had been just a day prior. IN passing, he managed to overhear part of a conversation going on:

"Dude did you hear what happened to Big Tony and the marauders?", asked one gang member to another.

"Who _hasn't _heard? Big Tony's gang was one of the most respected organizations in the city, and serves under Slade! As far as we're concerned, he's supposed to be untouchable!", answered another.

"Yeah, but apparently, he was taken down by some kid, I think Big Tony described him as "some no good kid who needed to be taught a lesson." About half of his gang ran away from the fight. It seems that the kid was just that good."

"You've got to be fucking kidding me! Big Tony! Taken out…by a kid?"

"Exactly, and that's why none of us are pulling anything stupid for today, just to be safe. We don't want to end up like Big Tony do we?"

"_So it worked…I did it..I made Dad proud….But in order to keep doing this, I need to find a steady supply of Xynthonium…Only then will I be able to keep the innocent people of Jump City safe….. But where can I find more? Maybe Dad's computer has something that can help….." _Alex made his way back to his family's own apartment, and opened up the passageway leading to his father's secret lair. Once there, he turned on the computer, and began to search for anything related to Xynthonium. _"Come on! There's got to be something!" _As he scrolled down page after page and went through article after article, the hope of finding anything soon diminished to an almost nonexistent point. But just as all hope seemed to be lost, he found one article. It was entitled: Xynthonium on Display at Local Museum, and was dated back to 1 year ago. _"Perhaps I should check it out… But if the only Xynthonium left in the world belongs to someone else, then to become a hero, I must first be….a villain…." _

The museum was located a mile away from the apartment, and before he knew it, Alex found himself standing outside of the entrance. _Subject: Museum, Foundation unstable;appears to be ready to collapse at any moment. Entrance appears to have been recently used due to the stress on the door hinges. Further analysis results in the possibility that 50 sentient beings could be located inside right now, waiting for you. "Wait…it's a trap? That means I'm going to need the suit….But is my life force high enough?" Status Update: Life force stabilized at 80%; Suit can be used for approximately 30 minutes before you are forced into unconsciousness. Caution is advised. "I'm going to have to risk it…I need that Xynthonium to keep innocent lives safe…." _Alex focused, and the suit came to the surface of his skin once more. His legs were slowly enveloped by the blackness of night, as were his arms and chest, and as the darkness finished enveloping his body, the mask appeared over his face, eyes glowing red with power. _"Man…I love that feeling…Now….I need to find a way in. The front door would be far too obvious…"_

Alex launched himself into the air, doing a back flip mid-air as he landed on the roof. _"Now all I need to do is go in through the glass ceiling of this roof….." _ As if on command, his wristblade unsheathed itself from the suit, and he made an incision in the ceiling, large enough for him to slip through undetected. He jumped through the hole and landed gracefully, performing a shoulder roll once he hit the floor to lessen the impact. _ "Now…Where would I be if I were Xynthonium?"_ Alex brushed the dust off his suit and began looking at the various objects in the museum, careful not to make a noise. _Subject: 4__th__ century hunting knife; not Xynthonium. Subject: Wax statue of famous actress from 20 years ago, Angelina Jolie. Subject: Authentic battle-worn Superman spandex. "Eww…that's just…wrong…"_

"So…..Red X…as I've heard you've been called…..you've finally showed up….I was beginning to think that you had been killed from that fight with the one who calls himself Big Tony last night", said a man who emerged from the shadows.

"Who are you? Did you follow me here?" _"Damn it! I should've been more careful!"_

"I'm sure you already know who I am…The least your good-for-nothing father could have done was tell you who you should fear."

"_Slade!"_ Alex narrowed his eyes and shifted into a defensive stance.

"See! I knew you'd figure it out after a while. You are your father's son after all", said Slade, crossing his arms. "You have potential. But only _I_ can truly make you who you want to be."

"You…you monster! You killed my father…I will NEVER forgive you!" yelled Alex as he charged at Slade, completely ignorant of the extent which Slade outclassed him by.

"Tsk. Tsk. You are so headstrong and ignorant…Just _like _your father," said a smirking Slade.

Slade phased out of view, and Alex stopped in his tracks, unaware of where Slade would appear next. _Subject: Slade. Location: Currently unknown. Searching for discrepancies within the air to locate him….Will currently phase to a spot several feet to your right within 1.5 seconds._ However, Alex's blocked the incoming attack from Slade, and prepared to counter with his own strike, only to miss, as his attack went right through where Slade had previously been only seconds before. Slade reappeared in front of Alex, performing a vicious uppercut to take advantage of the opening that Alex left when he had tried to retaliate. The blow sent Alex flying through a wall of the museum, but Slade wasn't done just yet. He phased out of sight and reappeared at the spot where Alex should've landed, kicking the vulnerable teen in the back, sending him flying into the glass roof of the museum. Slade finished off his onslaught of attacks with a jumpfly kick, crushing the already defeated teen into an adjacent wall. _WARNING: Life force in critical condition; 5%. Repairs to suit are unable to be done. Unconsciousness will begin soon to prevent death. _

"I should have figured that you would be finished that quickly. Just like your father in _so _manyways", said Slade as he turned and began to exit the museum.

"_Damn it! I'm going to regret this a whole lot later…." Subject: Slade. Status: Hostile. Possible Actions: Stay down and recover OR Phase behind him, knock him off his feet, and unleash a barrage of Xs. Caution is advised. _Alex phased behind Slade, performed a sweeping kick before Slade could react, and aimed his hands, firing out a barrage of exploding Xs, which knocked him backwards due to the repercussions of the multiple explosions. _Life Force is now at 1%. Initiating Forced Unconsciousness….. _ Alex faded from reality, thinking that Slade had finally been beaten. But he was dead wrong.

The smoke cleared, revealing an unscathed Slade, chuckling at Alex's futile effort.

"Hmph…..Red X…..You are so headstrong and idiotic, so much so like your father….Which is why you will make a great apprentice….." said Slade as he walked out of the museum, taking the Xynthonium with him and leaving behind a battered and unconscious Red X.

_~~Inside Red X's mind~~_

"_Where am I?" asked Alex as he found himself looking about in a white abyss of nothingness._

"_EMERGENCY FAILSAFE ACTIVATED" rang a voice in the nothingness. _

_Immediately, the "nothingness" faded to black, and Alex found himself in his father's lair once more. The computer screen flicked on once more, reveling Alex's father once more._

"_Son…if you're listening to this message, then it means that you pursued more Xynthonium, leading you to a museum where you have engaged Slade in battle and were beaten to the point of death. Upon fading to unconsciousness, this emergency failsafe that I installed activated, allowing me to give you this final message my son. I know you think that Slade has been beaten, but you're wrong. Slade is very much alive, and you cannot stop him in your current shape. This prerecorded message will end soon son, but you will not die. IN a couple hours, you will awake. Slade has taken the last of the Xynthonium, but I know a place where you can get more son. Soon you will experience a bright flash of light, and will end up in an entirely new place. I'm so proud of you son, no matter what you choose to do…."_

_A bright flash enveloped Alex's mind, and he quickly faded back to consciousness…._

_~~End Mind Scene~~_

"_Where am I now?"_ Alex awoke to find himself in the museum again. He started to walk around, noticing that for some reason, things seemed….different. _Subject: Michael Jackson's glove; circa 1990s. Subject: Elvis' hair; circa 1960s. "Wait..these aren't the same as before…"_ Alex looked at his hands, noticing that the suit had withdrawn once more, and raced out of the museum, colliding with another person.

"Where am I?" he asked the stranger.

"Are you serious? You're in Jump silly….it's 2004."

**End Chapter**

So Red X gets sent back into the past! What will happen next? (Honestly, I'm still trying to figure that one out on my own as well). Any feedback is appreciated. Also, do you guys want a love interest in the story and if so, who? I've got to get working on the next one though….. I know I've still got a lot to answer, but hopefully, it'll come soon!


	5. Chapter 5: A Problem with Girls

The Forsaken Hero

**Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans, or any characters in the show (just putting that out there)**

(A/N: I've been reading your reviews as well as rereading the chapters, and found that sometimes, my descriptions, well…..were a bit lacking. Oh and if you guys were wondering, my name is not Alex, I just needed a name for Red X…..So…obviously my writing style needs a lot of work, but I'll keep writing. Hopefully as time goes on, the chapters will get better. Thanks for all the reviews! You guys rock! Anyways, here's the next chapter…. This is where the term "AU" comes into play, because in this fic, Robin becomes Red X in season 1, and X reappears in season 2 during the whole Terra storyline. )

Chapter 5: A Problem with Girls

Alex got a good look at the person who he collided with. Her shoulder-length blonde hair flowed in the wind, and her luminescent large blue eyes seemed to envelop his entire being. For the first time when he looked at something, his mind did not race into an analysis of that thing, but instead, seemed to turn to jelly. _"Damn…She's pretty…NO! Get those thoughts out of your head! You don't even know her!"_ Although it only seemed like seconds to Alex, in reality, he was staring for several minutes.

"Uhhh..Hello? Is anyone in there?", asked the girl.

"Uhh…Yeah…..you see…ummm…_"Why does this have to be so hard?"_ well…..Hi…" _"You Idiot! Hi? That's the best you could think of?" _Alex started to rub his hands together nervously, trying to wipe away the sweat that had gathered in his palms. _"She's just…a girl….Why am I so nervous?"_

"Ok…Well, hi to _you _too", replied the girl in a sarcastic tone as a frown appeared on her face. It appeared that Terra seemed slightly perturbed by the "sweaty" teen in her presence.

Alex took a deep breath, hoping against hope that he wouldn't screw this up.

"Listen. I'm sorry about before. I honestly didn't see you when I collided with you before. I was just so preoccupied with my own thoughts that, well, yeah, it was that. And sorry for being so awkward. The truth is that..well…..anytime I'm around someone really beautiful…I tend to get really awkward," said Alex as he looked down to the ground, and all the painful memories came back to him once more.

_~~Flashback~~_

_He was 13 years old when he had his first crush, and it was on a girl far older than him who was about to leave the orphanage. Her name was Cathy. She was extremely pretty, at least that's what his 13 year old self thought at the time, and in desperation, Alex tried to talk to her one night_

"_Hi…. Kathy…. my….my n-names A-al-alex, a-and I-I j-just w-wa-wanted t-to…umm….s-say hi." Her looks had turned Alex into a nervous wreck, and it took him 5 minutes just to get out a complete sentence._

"_Well well, aren't you shy? I'll tell you what. I've seen the way you've looked at me, I know what you want, and I'll give it to you." She said, leaning in, and placing a kiss on Alex's lips._

_(This indicates a though within a flashback…..) (Oh God…I can't believe it!)_

_But by then, Alex had lost all control over his bodily functions, and with that, due to the pent up anxiety, nervousness, and well…shock, Alex did the one thing he wish he had not done—he soiled his pants._

"_Eww…OH MY GOD! THAT'S SO GROSS!", she yelled before running away from the scene._

_By the next morning, everyone at the orphanage had heard of Alex's untimely action, and his nickname was Piss-off Alex for three weeks. Needless to say, it dealt a big blow to his confidence, especially around girls, and he would never be the same again….._

_~~End~~_

The girl blushed as she heard his comments. No one had really ever called her pretty before. Heck, even her best friend, Beast Boy, never really said anything like that to her. A period of awkward silence followed, one that neither side was able to break. _"Damn it! I knew I screwed up! Who the hell says "you're beautiful" to the first person you see? I'm such an idiot….."_

Luckily, for both of them though, her t-com started ringing, and she answered it. The voice from the t-com said:

"Terra, we need you by the docks! Apparently Cinderblock thinks that the carnival is the best place to terrorize! And it's no coincidence that he's interrupting a Xynthonium transport either! Slade must be planning something! Get down here!"

"Looks like I gotta go", she said smiling at him. "What's your name anyway?"

Alex took too long to gather his thoughts, and Terra, using her geomancer powers, propelled herself into the air on a rock, leaving behind a dazed Alex. _"Wow…I'm such an idiot. Couldn't even give her my name….. Wait….did that guy on her communicator say Xynthonium? Maybe this is what father was talking about….And how can Slade be here too? I've got to stop him….I've got to save the world…" _ Remembering which way Terra had gone, Alex leapt onto a nearby rooftop, and as if on command, darkness enveloped his body, an the mask emerged on his face once more. Red X was back again. _Life Force is stable at 95%. Suit will remain powered for 45 minute maximum until you fade into unconsciousness. "Well, Looks like I've got to make this quick then…" _

Alex ran from rooftop to rooftop in the direction that he hoped would lead him to the docks. He assumed that since he was still in the museum, he must still be in Jump City, but 20 years in the past. "_How can it even be possible? Oh well, I can't think about it now…." _As he made his rooftop journey, he couldn't help but notice how safe the streets of Jump were. He saw children smiling and playing out in the streets, happy mothers watching their children play, and no criminals in sight. Compared to his time, these streets were safer than he could have ever dreamt the streets of Jump to be. _"These people….they're so happy…I've never seen anything like this before…."_

He finished his journey in several minutes, finding himself atop a building overlooking the Jump City docks. He spotted a large grey behemoth, crushing a large part of the docks. _Subject: Cinderblock, one of Slade's henchmen. Subject appears to be highly resistant to both physical and energy attacks. Weight is approximately 3 tons. It appears that 6 teenagers are combating the subject, but to no avail. Possible Actions: Intervention is recommended. Size is his greatest advantage, but also his greatest weakness. It—_ Alex was interrupted from his thoughts when he spotted a broken down truck out of the corner of his eye. _Subject: Broken Down Truck with a high probability of containing the Xynthonium shipment. It is advised that the Xynthonium be retrieved as quickly as possible. Life force remains steady at approximately 90%. _Alex was about to rush over to the Xynthonium, when he turned once more to the battle, mesmerized by what was happening down below.

Meanwhile, At the Battle With Cinderblock…..

"This isn't working!", yelled Robin as he was knocked aside by Cinderblock. "Raven! Try to hold the dock together! If this doesn't pick up soon, the docks will be history! Starfire, you and Cyborg try to hit Cinderblock at his legs! Beastboy, you're with me, and Terra, make sure that everyone gets to safety! Titans GO!"

The Titans divided, each set on accomplishing the tasks that Robin had given them.

"Azarath, Metreon, Zinthos!", yelled Raven, causing a dark aura to envelop the base of the docks and keep them from collapsing under the weight of Cinderblock.

"BOOYA!" yelled Cyborg as he landed a direct hit on Cinderblock's knees with his sonic cannon. Both he and Starfire continued to blast Cinderblock's knees, causing the behemoth to lurch forward, thrown off-balance by the blows to his knees.

"Beast Boy, NOW!" yelled Robin as they ran up one of Cinderblock's arms and dealt numerous blows to his face. Robin threw several bird-a-rangs, which exploded upon impact, while Beast Boy transformed into a rhinoceros, running straight into one of Cinderblock's eyes.

The combined blows should've done away with Cinderblock on any normal day, but unfortunately for the Titans, Cinderblock had changed. He was no longer the formidable enemy that could be taken down when all of them worked together. Instead, he was truly a "monster" under the complete control of Slade, understanding every one of the Titans' tactics and ale to endure their hardest attacks. He had been specially trained, and his goal, was to achieve the Xynthonium. No pipsqueak superhero was going to stop him (at least that's what he thought). He lashed out against the Titans, knocking Beast Boy and Robin off of their feet, and launched them into a nearby building, rendering them unconscious.

Cyborg ran over to the unconscious heroes, checking on their vitals. Relieved that they were still alive, he turned to face Cinderblock, but he was far too slow. Cinderblock slapped him as if he were a ping pong ball, causing Cyborg to collide with Raven, knocking them both out. Starfire flew, charging at Cinderblock, prepared to fire numerous starbolts, but before she could fire her furious barrage of attacks, Cinderblock punched her into the docks. The impact was so great that it caused a crater to be formed at the bottom of the bay, and in seconds, an unconscious Starfire floated to the surface.

With all of Titans, unconscious, Cinderblock assumed that he was now free to take the Xynthonium and deliver it to Slade, but he was sadly mistaken. A large boulder collided with Cinderblock's side, knocking him into the bay with a deafening _CRASH_. He got up, deeply perturbed by the person who had the audacity to throw a giant boulder at him, and saw _her._ She was supposed to b the master's apprentice, but she was working for the Titans? All Cinderblock knew was that if he ended her life somehow, he would be greatly rewarded. The two stared at each other, waiting for the other side to make the first move.

Back to Red X…..

"_Oh shit… there's only one of them left, and it's Terra. She should be fine though. She has the most power out of any of them, and should be able to take out Cinderblock with ease. I'll just go and get the Xynthonium now while no one's looking…." _Yet try as he might, Alex couldn't move from the spot, and found himself staring at the scene once again.

Back to Terra and Cinderblock…..

Cinderblock made the first move, sending his fist towards Terra. The teen tried to retaliate, attempting to use her powers to stop the blow, but to her surprise, her powers did not respond to her bidding. The fist sped towards Terra, and she closed her eyes, frozen with fear due to the swiftness of the incoming blow.

Back to Red X…

"_Why the hell isn't she doing anything? She's standing there, doing nothing! Oh no….Does she not have full control of her powers? Damn it!" Subject: Cinderblock's fist attacking Terra. Speed is approximately 40mph, which is physically impossible for someone of his size and weight. Estimated time of impact: 3 seconds. Blow is 99% lethal to any normal human being._ Alex didn't have time to process the possible actions that he could do. If he didn't act soon, Terra would most likely be killed by the blow. _"I'm really going to regret this later…." _Alex phased from view and reappeared right next to Terra, pushing her out of the way just in time for her to avoid the blow. However, Alex wasn't so lucky, as the blow hit him square in the chest, propelling him into the water below him. _Life Force has decreased to 25%, Consciousness will be maintained for several minutes. Analysis indicates that you possess a broken femur. Suit will make repairs now. "Damn…that hurt…" _Alex, knowing that time was of the essence, launched himself from the water, landing on the docks, and preparing himself to go toe-to-toe with an enemy far larger than he was.

Back to Terra….

She was fully expecting the blow to hit her square in the face, but the blow never came. Instead, she felt someone push her aside, saving her from the impact of Cinderblock's punch. She opened her eyes to see who saved her, and she saw someone who was completely mysterious to her. _"Gosh, who is this guy? And why did he save me? More importantly, how did he survive that hit? I can't believe it! I….could've taken Cinderblock…..but instead, I couldn't, and it only led to this mysterious stranger getting hurt….."_

Back to Red X…..

Alex turned to see that the girl, Terra, was staring at him.

"Terra, if I were you, I'd get out of here right now! I'll take care of this, just don't get hurt!" ,said Alex, making sure to disguise his voice.

He turned to face Cinderblock once more. _Subject: Cinderblock. Subject shows clear sign of exhaustion, is more prone to make a fatal mistake. Remember, that water conducts electricity. "That's it!" _ Alex fired multiple exploding Xs at Cinderblock, hoping to annoy him to the point of falling into his trap. Just as Alex had thought, Cinderblock lunged at him, hoping to knock him out with ease jus as he had done with the other Titans. But Alex avoided each blow, retreating several feet with every dodge to the point where he was at the tip of the docks, with the whole bay behind him. With one last dodge, Alex avoided Cinderblock's blow, and performed a sweeping kick, knocking Cinderblock off balance and sending him into the bay. _"God Damn it! That hurt! But I can't think about it now…Hopefully this works!" _Alex concentrated on the concept of electricity, and fired off multiple Xs into the bay. Just as he had hoped, the Xs sent a large electrical current through the water, shocking Cinderblock to the point of unconsciousness. _"Wow…I can't believe that actually worked. And here I thought rocks were resistant to electricity…" WARNING: Life Force is at 7%. Please locate Xynthonium or the safety will activate once more, sending you into unconsciousness. _Alex phased from sight and reappeared in front of the Xynthonium truck. He reached in and found the substance, and held it to his chest. _Xynthonium absorbed._ He repeated the process multiple times, until all but one fragment of the substance was gone. _"I think I'll keep this one for later….Just in case I run out again…"_

Alex was about to leave, when he noticed Terra coming towards him. _"I should leave now while I've still got the chance…Damn it! Why aren't I moving? Shit…..Looks like it's too late now."_

"Thanks for saving me….whoever you are, what's your name anyway?", asked Terra with a smile.

"_Answer her! Come one! Don't be a chicken!"_ Alex gulped, but was overcome with anxiety and nervousness, which paralyzed his vocal chords and prevented him from answering. However, the mask covered his facial expression, and so to Terra, it only seemed like he was ignoring her.

"Fine then." Said Terra, pouting. "How do you know my name then?"

"_Aww man…How'd I let that one slip? Sometimes I feel like I'm such an idiot….." _ Alex found himself unable to speak, not only due to his nervousness, but also due to his inability to think of a believable explanation. _Predicament analyzed. Possible Action: Phase out of sight and avoid confrontation. _Not really thinking, Alex phased out of existence, leaving behind a befuddled Terra and 5 unconscious Teen Titans.

"Wait…Where'd all the Xynthonium go?" asked Terra, finally recovering from her initial shock when Red X had disappeared. However, no one would answer her question.

She went around and woke up the rest of the Titans, and after the authorities had taken Cinderblock into custody, they returned to Titans Tower. Where she explained everything that had taken place to the team.

"So let me get this straight…" , said Cyborg. "You're telling me that some guy just showed up and beat down Cinderblock when we couldn't? And then he ran away with all the Xynthonium?"

"She wasn't describing just anybody Cyborg….The person she was describing…was Red X", said Robin. "But that can't be possible though because I still have the suit locked up, and no one can get to it!"

"It wouldn't hurt to check again, right?" asked Beast Boy.

The six teens all went into Robin's vault and found what they hoped had been gone. The Red X suit was still there, despite everyone's beliefs.

"But this can't be right! Everything you described—the shooting Xs, reliance on Xynthonium, and skull mask, those are all Red X! This doesn't make any sense!" said Beast Boy.

"There's only one possibility", said Robin. "Slade."

Back to Red X…

Alex, still clothed in his Red X suit, stood atop a rooftop, deep in thought. _"Wow…..I'm so stupid…..I can't believe I just left like that…..She was just so beautiful….No..I can't think about these things! Focus Alex Focus! You're stuck 20 years in the past, with no way back! It doesn't matter if the Xynthonium reserves in the suit are now at 300%, I need to find a way back and save my world from Slade! But…maybe…I can do just that by making a difference here and now. It might create an alternate timeline, but I can't let this timeline turn out like mine has….Gosh, she was really pretty…Damn it! Focus Alex!"_

Alex had been left behind by his parents, friends, and family, all because of Slade, but now, he had to face an evil maybe far greater than Slade himself...He had to face his own anxiety when talking to a girl...

**End Chapter**

Hope you guys enjoyed that chapter, and I took your advice with regards to love interests. I guess this'll shape out to a Red X/Terra fic… Any feedback is much appreciated. I hope to get the next chapter up in a couple days….. What do you guys think so far?


	6. Chapter 6: A Quest of Epic Proportions

The Forsaken Hero

**Disclaimer: I do not own the show Teen Titans or any of the characters in the show at all despite the fact that I wish I could (just putting that out there….)**

Chapter 6: A Quest of Epic Proportions

"_Man…I need to find a place to stay, and I guess to do so, I've got to get a job…" _For the past several nights, Alex had slept on top of rooftops, only to be rudely awoken by either a screaming landlady, or a homeless person begging him for change. As he got up from what had been his bed the previous night (a couple old newspapers), he noticed several "Help wanted" ads, and decided to go to each of these places in a hope that the job openings were still available. The Red X suit had long since withdrawn into the core of its wearer, waiting to be called to emerge once more. Sighing to himself, Alex looked at one of the ads, which read:

_Help Wanted! Experience in Counting Money, Banking, etc. Location: Bank Of Perez 5555 Bank Street. _

"_Well, I guess this job hunting's got to start somewhere. This shouldn't be too bad. I mean, how hard could being a bank teller be?"_ As he pocketed the old newspaper, Alex jumped down from the roof, landing in one of the abandoned alleyways. He walked out of the alleyway, wandering around until he found the Bank of Perez. He entered the building, walking up to one of the tellers, hoping that his half an hour journey had not been in vain.

"Uhhh…Hi…I'm here for the opening for the bank telling job here….." he said.

"Well, your just in luck, all the spots had been filled up, but when that robbery happened a couple days ago, even though the Teen Titans stopped it, almost everyone quit their jobs", was the answer.

"Cool…So when do I start?" he asked, eager to earn his own money for once and gain a place to live.

"Not quite yet dear….You see, I've got to perform some tests to make sure you're not a complete buffoon when it comes to money. Here's your first question: What is 1+1?"

"_Well that's a whole lot easier than I thought it would be…." _"2."

"Correct. Now. Here is your second question: How many pennies are there in 1 dollar?"

"_You've got to be kidding me…right?" _"There's 100 pennies in one dollar."

"Wow! You're doing very well! The last applicant couldn't get past question number 1! Here's your final question. If you answer this correctly, the job's yours! How many Euros are there in one dollar?"

"_Damn it! What the hell is a "Euro"? It must have something to do with foreign currency….." _ "Uhhhhh….2?"

"Incorrect. I am terribly sorry. You are not qualified for the position. Goodbye."

Dejected, disappointed, and sighing to himself, Alex walked out of the bank, pulling the old newspaper out of his pocket to read the next "Help Wanted" ad:

_Help Wanted! Technological Experience Necessary. Cook's Electronics Store 1234 West End._

"_Hopefully this one goes a lot better…I mean I'm really good with technology and stuff, so this shouldn't be too hard right?"_ Alex began walking around, wandering aimlessly, for about a half an hour. Finally, fed up with not knowing where he was, he turned and asked a passerby where Cook's Electronics Store was located. His response was:

"You're new around here, aren't you? Cook's Electronics is right there around the corner."

Smiling to himself, Alex walked around the corner, entering the appliance store.

"Hi there, I'm here for the job opening. I read about it in the paper a couple days back." _"Yes! That went way better than before at the bank!"_

"Well I'll be. Lad, the position was filled just this morning, but I'll tell you what. Since you aren't a bumbling idiot looking for a job, I'll give you a shot. A test, I guess is what you could call it", said the man at the counter, whom Alex assumed to be the owner of the store.

"_Great…Just great…Another test…" _"Sure, why not?"

"Ok here's your first question: What is this object behind me?"

_Subject: 45.5inch HDTV, Sony brand. Cost is approximately $2,183.99; Contains 3 HDMI ports. Upon further examination into the subject's circuitry, it is revealed that there is a mistake in the wiring, which will render the computer useless in approximately 31 days. It appear that this TV has a warranty for 30 days…_ Alex repeated word by word exactly what his mind had told him.

"Wow! You're damn good at this thing! No one's ever gone into that much detail! I'll tell you what, here's your final test: You've got to try and sell this here TV to the next person that walks in. If you succeed, you're hired!"

"_Ok…this shouldn't be too hard…."_ Alex waited at the counter for what seemed like hours, hoping that someone would walk in and he would be able to sell the television. The day continued, and no one walked into the store. Alex's hopes were dimming, and he was becoming deeply annoyed with the fact that he had spent the whole day job shopping, and had come close twice, but ultimately failed. Just then, the door to the store opened, and in walked a prospective customer in her mid twenties.

_Subject: Customer; an attractive female in her mid twenties; cup size is approximately 34C and weight is about 125 pounds. There is high probability that you will screw this one up. Possible Action: Remember to Keep eye contact._ "Uhh…W-Welc-come t-to t-the s-store. W-Would y-you l-like t-to b-buy t-this TV? _"Damn it! Why does she have to be a girl?"_"

"No thank you. I'm just here to ask this: Have any of you seen the pizza delivery boy from Pizza Corner? I ordered pizza an hour ago, and it still hasn't come yet", she said.

"Uhhhh…n-no…I-I h-haven't s-seen h-him."

"Well, ok then I guess I'll be going then, and next time, I advise you look at someone's eyes when you talk to them mister", she said, as she turned and exited the store.

He turned to the store owner who said, "Lad, it looks like you failed your test. It appears you've got some serious girl problems."

Alex sighed and left the store, pulling out the newspaper once again. However. There were no more "Help Wanted" ads left in the paper. Pocketing the newspaper, he wandered about, looking for a suitable rooftop to spend the night. As he was walking, he heard some noises from a nearby alleyway.

"So….you're not going to give us that pizza? Well, we'll just have to beat it out of you!" yelled one of the muggers.

They knocked the man onto the ground, and kicked him repeatedly, all of which did serious damage to the man's ribcage, face, and limbs. _"Wait…Did I just hear right? This guy's getting mugged…over pizza? I guess I should probably save him…." Subject: Muggers; average human males in their mid 20s. Fighting skills appear to be below average. Possible Action: Due to their poor fighting skills, it appears that they may be susceptible to fake outs. _Not believing that the use of the suit would be necessary, Alex ran towards one of the muggers and punched him square in the jaw, knocking him into the ground. The other two muggers dropped their victim and ran towards Alex, fists raised. Alex rose to punch one of the men, moving quicker than the man could react, and just as the punch was about to connect, the man flinched. Alex never followed through with the punch, and instead opted to finish the man of with a knee to the stomach, knocking the man unconscious.

The other man was sweating profusely as he stopped in his tracks, raising his guard.

"W-What t-the H-hell are y-you?" asked the last mugger.

"It's simple really. I'm just…_"Should I say Worst nightmare?"_…..uhhh…I'm just

some unemployed guy….yeah…..let's go with that…" _Subject: Mugger in defensive stance. Flaws in his stance indicate that he is heavily reliant on facing the enemy head-on._ Alex phased out of site, reappearing behind the mugger, and with a quick chop to the neck, rendered the man in the same state as his other two companions.

With the muggers taken care of, Alex ran over to the fallen man. _"I still can't believe this guy was mugged over something as stupid as pizza."_

"Hey, everything's ok now. The muggers are taken care of. You good?" asked Alex.

"Damn that hurts! I reckon that there mugging sure did me in. Take this", said the man, "and tell the owner of Pizza Corner that he needs a new pizza delivery boy!" The man gave him one of those bags that helped to keep pizzas hot, and ran off into the distance.

"_Pizza Corner…..I remember seeing a place named that near the Bank of Perez…..I guess I probably should return this to the owner there….." _ He found his way to Pizza Corner, and unlike his other two "adventures", it only took him ten minutes to find what he was looking for. _"Well, that wasn't so bad…..Here goes nothing…" _For the third time that day, Alex walked into a store, but this time, he wasn't hoping for a job. As he walked in, he saw that the entire place was a mess of flour, sauce, cheese, and meat. A man, whom Alex assumed to be the owner, came to greet him.

"Umm….excuse me sir, I was told that this belonged to you. Apparently the person who gave it to me said that he quit", said Alex, attempting to hand over the bag.

"Oh no! Mama Mia! That's the first time in the last three years! But what am I going to do? I just made these fifty pizzas, and now there's no one to deliver it! Wait, I know, you're hired!" said the Pizza owner.

"Wait…what?" _"Did this guy seriously just hire me? No tests or anything?" _

"I knew I could count on you. Deliver these 50 pizzas to Titans Tower. If you don't know, it's the giant building shaped like a T. The delivery bicycle is out back. Good luck!" said the owner, as he turned to the oven, focused on making more pizza.

"_Well….looks like I got a job now….."_ Loading the 50 pies onto the back of the bicycle, Alex began pedaling towards the hallmark of Jump City: Titans Tower. As he made his journey, he noticed all of the happy faces that people had. _"So this is what a life without Slade gives these people…happiness…..I can't remember the last time that I was this happy." _ As he pedaled away, he became lost in his own thoughts, completely oblivious to his surroundings. _"I'm going to need more Xynthonium…But how? Every time I use the suit I consume a portion of the Xynthonium reserves. Maybe if I could find a way to replenish it without having to get more of the substance…I wonder if it's even possible. I'm going to first need to examine the Xynthonium sample that I held onto, and I'm probably going to need more….What if I could make a scanner to find Xynthonium? I guess that could work. However, making the substance renewable may have some dangers. I need to identify if there are any potential side effects of its consumption, but to do so, I'm going to need some parts, parts that a normal pizza delivery boy can't afford…..It's a damn good thing that I'm not just any pizza delivery boy….." _

Alex reemerged from his thoughts to find himself in front of a towering T-shaped building. _"Wow, that's really cool….." Subject: Titans' Tower. Exterior/Frame Composition: 75% strengthened titanium alloy, 22% enhanced steel; 3% aluminum. Front door is located approximately 5 feet to your left._ _"Well, I guess I'll just ring the doorbell, drop these off, and be on my way…Oh yeah I've got to collect the money too or else my "boss" will kill me…"_

Alex went and pressed the doorbell, causing a voice to come over an intercom nearby.

"Is that the pizza?" asked the voice, which Alex recognized to be Cyborg's.

"Yeah, your bill's $1275", he replied.

Alex waited at the front door for several minutes, waiting impatiently for the door to open. _"You'd think they wouldn't want their pizza to get any colder." _But just as he thought those thoughts, the font door slid open, and all of the Titans came out to get their pizza and bring it up.

Beast Boy, who was struggling to lift his ten boxes, yelled "Hey guys, wouldn't it be easier if Raven just used her powers to lift all the boxes into the tower?"

"Hell, no!" yelled Cyborg. "There's no way that I want to have any "negative energy" in my pizza! Just use your powers to transform into something that _can _carry the pizza."

"Oh yeah, that's right!" proclaimed Beast Boy as he turned into a gorilla, effortlessly lifting the pizza boxes into the building.

With Cyborg, Beast Boy, Starfire, Raven, and Robin having brought the pizza inside, the only two left outside were Terra and Alex, the latter sweating profusely.

"So…..", she began. "Do you have a name, or should I just call you pizza delivery boy?" she asked with a smile.

Alex gulped as he began to answer. "Uhhh…m-my n-name's…uhhhh…m-my n-name's….A-Al-Ale-P-piz-za D-delivery b-boy i-is f-fine." _"Idiot! Idiot! Idiot! Really? Pizza Delivery boy? That's the best you could come up with?"_

"Alright _Pizza Delivery Boy_, I'll see you around then", she replied, and went inside, leaving Alex outside.

It took him several minutes to realize that he hadn't gotten the money for the pizza yet. _"Man…I'm such an idiot…" _Sighing to himself, Alex walked up to the doorbell and rang it again.

"What _MUNCH _is _MUNCH _it?" asked Cyborg over the intercom.

"Uhhh….The total's $1275", replied Alex.

"Oh _MUNCH _we _MUNCH _forgot _MUNCH _to _MUNCH _pay! RAVEN _MUNCH _DO _YOU_ GOT _MUNCH _ANY _MUNCH _MONEY _MUNCH _TO PAY _MUNCH _ FOR _MUNCH _THE _MUNCH _PIZZA?"

"No", was the reply.

"BEAST BOY! _MUNCH _ROBIN! _MUNCH _WHAT ABOUT _MUNCH _YOU?"

Two loud "No's" served as the reply to Cyborg's question.

"TERRA _MUNCH!" _

"I GOT IT! NOW JUST SHUT UP AND EAT", yelled Terra.

Alex was perplexed to say the least, overhearing this whole conversation over the intercom. _"Wow, this reminds me so much of the orphanage all over again….." _Within seconds, a slightly annoyed Terra appeared in the doorway.

"Here's your money _Pizza Delivery Boy._" She turned around after giving the money over, beginning to walk back to the door.

"Wait…", said Alex, causing her to stop in her tracks, but she did not turn around. "i-I'm s-sorry i-if I-I s-seem s-so awkward a-around y-you. It-it's j-just t-that y-your e-eyes…t-they're a-as b-bright as t-the s-stars i-in the s-ky, a-and w-whenever I-I l-look into t-them, I c–can't h-help b-but f-feel s-so n-nervous w-whenever I s-see y-you…..", Alex, believing that he made a complete fool out of himself, ran back to the bike and biked all the way back to the pizza, never looking back. _"Damn it! I'm so fucking stupid! How could I say something as stupid as that?" _

But if Alex had turned to look back, he would've seen Terra, unmoving from the spot where she had been before, blushing profusely. _"Gosh, He's so awkward, but does he really think that about me? No one's ever said those things before." _Thought Terra. Sighing to herself, she walked back into the doorframe, deep in thought.

Before he even realized it, Alex found himself in front of Pizza Corner, where the owner was still at work, tossing pizzas.

"Umm, excuse me sir, I just finished the delivery. Is there any way I can get paid up front now so I can find a place to live?"

"Nonsense! I have a spare apartment on top of this store! It's only a one bedroom apartment with a bathroom an no kitchen, but you can stay there for free!"

"Really, thank you sir! Now where's the next delivery to?" asked Alex, as they both chuckled, setting off to their own separate tasks.

**Meanwhile: Back at Titans' Tower**

Terra sat in her room in silence, pondering what had happened that afternoon. _"What's going on? Why do I feel, so…..weird? _ _No one's ever complemented me before like that, not even Beast Boy." _ Terra was struggling with her own thoughts, emotions, and untrained powers. Thoughts of Beast Boy, Red X, and the Pizza Delivery Boy filled her mind. _"Beast Boy, he's…just Beast Boy. He's always there for me and I can tell him anything…. But what about the other two? Red X…he saved me…. But he's so mysterious….And the pizza delivery boy? I don't even know his name yet."_

She was interrupted from her thoughts by a knock on the door.

"Terra? You in there? What's wrong?" asked Beast Boy from the other side of the door.

"It's….It's nothing BB…It's…Here come in", she said as she opened the door.

"What's wrong" asked Beast Boy again.

"Umm…Do you think I'm pretty?"

"_What?" _ "Uhh…I mean, sure, you're cool, smart, and…how about we go grab some pizza?"

"Are you serious? We just had pizza before and Pizza Corner's closed!" she replied.

"So what? Let's just go hang out and have some fun!" said a grinning Beast Boy, leading Terra from her room and out of Titans' Tower.

**Back to Alex/Red X **

By now, it was pitch dark out, and Alex sat on his bed, unable to fall asleep. _"Man…I can't sleep…I might as well get those parts now for the scanner….But how?" Due to insufficient funds, the only plausible way to achieve necessary parts is through theft. Potential store: Cook's Electronics Store. "Ah well….Since I can't really sleep, I guess I might as well do this now, regardless of my own feelings….I need to put aside my own feelings, and put the future safety of the world first….. _

Alex sighed, and focused, causing the suit to emerge once again. He jumped out of the window, and in the darkness of the night, felt utterly alone…..

**End Chapter**

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. I apologize if the story's been a bit comedic, and this is basically a filler chapter. I hope to get the serious plot out there in the next chapter. For those of you wondering why X hasn't stolen anything yet, rest assured, it'll happen next chapter, but it might take me a bit longer to write it…..


	7. Chapter 7: A Night Of Crime

The Forsaken Hero

**Disclaimer: I do not own the show Teen Titans, nor do I own any of the characters in the show (just putting that out there right now for anyone who wants to see this.).**

(A/N: Again, this is an AU fic, so anything that happens is probably not canon…..Just saying. I've been reading your comments, you guys are awesome. I could've made the last chapter longer, but I decided to end it and put it out there for a quick update. This chapter's taken a long time, so hopefully you guys enjoy it! And yes, it will go back to being more serious…..)

Chapter 7: A Night of Crime

Alex, fully clothed as Red X, stared at the entrance to Cook's Electronics Store, deliberating on what he should do to enter the store. _Subject: 45 meters of Glass; appears to be low grade second-hand quality. Will shatter upon impact with something sharp. However, doing so will trigger a high quality alarm signal, which will more than likely cause the Teen Titans to come to the scene. There appears to be no other plausible way to get around the alarm. It is advised that you get in, take what you need, and get out as quickly as possible. However, it is also possible to use the teleportation device on the suit and appear on the other side of the glass. However, because it has never been tried yet, the results may not be what expected. "Sounds like a plan to me…" _Alex focused on the concept of teleportation, and found himself reappear inside of Cook's Electronics Store. _"So that wasn't that bad…I've got to try this some more…But first, I need to get those parts….Let's see….in order to get the desired scanning that I want, I'm going to need one of Cook's high end radios with both fm and am frequencies…..But then, the scanning might need a serious amount of power and overload the device…Hmm…I think I might need some sort of insulator….Perhaps I can convert one of these mini fridges into a cooling agent, preventing the scanner from overheating…..Of course, I'm going to need some wires, but the store doesn't seem to have any that I want…I know! That Tv from before…If I remember correctly, than I could use some of its circuitry to make the scanner work….. I guess that'll work… Time to set out to work and get these things done….._ Alex walked over to the television and placed his hands on it. Focusing on home, he activated his teleportation device and disappeared from the store, reappearing at his "home" with the television. Leaving it there, he teleported back to the inside of the store, seeking more parts for his Xynthonium scanner.

However, unbeknownst to Alex, there were two teens at the outside of Cook's Electronics Store, staring at him from the outside.

"Is that who I think it is?"

"Yes Terra, it is. Robin was right. That's Red X", replied Beast Boy.

Beast Boy sighed to himself. The night out with Terra hadn't really gone as planned. No matter what he tried, she always seemed unfocused, thinking about something else. Sure, when he made a joke, she would genuinely laugh, but for some reason, she just seemed like she wasn't completely there with him. Their "night of fun" as he called it, had begun with a walk in the city. Beast Boy, summoning up all the courage he had, took Terra's hand in his own as they walked, but she hadn't even acknowledged him at all, she just kept looking straight ahead. They walked to an arcade, where Beast Boy thought she would have fun playing games with him, but she still seemed out there. They spent the next couple of hours just walking around, and Beast Boy would try to initiate a conversation, but he would only receive one-word answers. Beast Boy eventually gave up trying to start a conversation, and they continued to walk on, hand in hand, in silence, at least until they saw Red X.

"Wait…Where'd he go with that TV?" asked Terra as they both observed X teleporting from the store with the TV and returning without it.

"I don't know", replied Beast Boy, "but we have to stop him!" Beast Boy pulled out his communicator. "Robin, Terra and I see Red X committing theft at Cook's Electronics! Get over here!" he yelled into his t-com.

"How are we going to get in the store without tripping the alarm?" asked Terra.

"Red X is dangerous Terra. We take him out now!" yelled Beast Boy as he transformed into a Tyrannosaurus Rex, charging into Cook's Electronics Store.

**Back To X**

"_Hmm…Almost done….Just got to get that fridge…." _ Alex was interrupted from his thoughts when he heard a loud _CRASH _and saw a green T Rex charging towards him. _"Beast Boy? What's he doing here?" Subject: Beast Boy transformed into a Tyrannosaurus Rex charging towards you. Speed varying from 15-39 mph. Approximately 3.5 seconds until impact. Possible Actions: Due to Beast Boy's ability to transform into any being at will, there is an added amount of versatility to his attack. However, this ability can be used against him. It is possible to suspend him in a mid transformation state using the proper device. "Sounds like a plan to me….." _ Alex launched himself into the air, landing on top of Beast Boy 's Tyrannosaurus Rex back. This action caused Beast Boy to try to transform into something small, such as a hummingbird, in order to cause Red X to fall to the ground. However, Alex saw through this plan. _"Gotcha! Ok…I've got to focus….Maybe something cold will prevent him from completing his transformation….." _As Beast Boy began his transformation, Alex focused energy into his palms, firing off two Xs, which hit Beast Boy straight in the face. The Xs seemed to have a cryogenic effect, prolonging Beast Boy's transformation. _"Hmm….That should hold him for a couple of hours….."_ Beast Boy was essentially frozen solid in time, preventing his transformation from completing. _"Wow, this feeling, this adrenaline…it's awesome! Why haven't I done this before?"_

"Beast Boy! No! What did you do to him?" yelled an all-too familiar voice at Alex. Her eyes turned yellow, and she raised her hands, causing multiple boulders to shoot forward at Alex with blinding speed.

"_Damn it! Why'd she have to show up?" Subject: Multiple boulders flying at approximately 100 mph. Approximate arrival time is .00000004 seconds. Evasion is recommended._ Although the boulders were flying at blinding speed, to Alex, it seemed that the rocks were moving at normal speed, for time slowed down…..Alex weaved his way between each rock, easily dodging each boulder, but just as quickly as time slowed down, time sped up once more. The boulders went crashing into the wall behind him, causing multiple craters to form.

"You….you saved me, but now, you're doing this? You're a thief, and you hurt Beast Boy! I won't forgive you!" she yelled, and her eyes glowed once more.

However, unlike last time, boulders were not sent towards Alex. Instead, her whole body started to shake, and the ground began to tremor, as if there were a magnitude 10 earthquake occurring. _"Damn it! I forgot! She still isn't in control of her powers completely!"_ The ground below them began to crack open, forming an abyss with a depth of 1,000 feet, which would most likely end both of their lives. _"I can easily dodge this, but what about her? She seems so distraught right now!" _

"TERRA! TERRA! YOU'VE GOT TO CALM DOWN! BEAST BOY WILL BE OKAY!" he yelled.

But it appeared that she didn't hear his pleading. By now, Alex had already evaded the growing abyss and had moved Beast Boy to a nearby rooftop, but Terra had not moved from her spot. _"Shit! If I don't do something, she's going to die!" _Alex phased behind her, put both arms around her, and propelled himself into the air, landing them both on the same building where he had left Beast Boy. But Terra was still in her trance, and the giant crack near Cook's Electronics Store was only growing bigger in terms of both width and length per second.

"TERRA! COME ON! WAKE UP! ONLY YOU CAN STOP THIS!"

But she still remained in her trance-like state, and he eyes continued to glow that ominous yellow. _"Damn it! Why aren't the rest of the Titans here? Didn't Beast Boy call them?" _

**Back At Titans' Tower Approximately 30 minutes ago…..**

"Robin, Terra and I see Red X committing theft at Cook's Electronics! Get over here!", came a voice from Robin's T-com.

Acknowledging Beast Boy's request for help, Robin woke up the rest of the Titans from bed, and they were about to rush to Beast Boy's aide when the TV in Titans Tower turned on for no important reason, showing the face of one villain that they knew all too well….

"Slade!" yelled Robin. "What are you doing and how did you manage to recreate the Red X suit?"

"Me? Recreate the X suit? You have some mind Robin, some mind indeed", replied Slade in his customary calm and collected tone. "As a matter of fact, I'm pretty sure this Red X that you speak of is in the city as we speak right now, but there's _no _way you're going to be able to apprehend him."

"What do you mean?" asked Robin.

"Oh Robin…Maybe you should take better care of your security systems" said Slade, and the TV screen flickered off.

"LOCKDOWN MODE INITIATED!" rang a voice throughout the tower.

"Damn it! Cyborg! Get to disabling the lockdown mode! NOW!" yelled Robin.

"I can't!" replied Cyborg as he was rapidly typing away on his keyboard. "Slade must have changed the password! There's no way we can get in or out!"

Robin had Cyborg install lockdown mode as a security measure, no one could get in or out. Despite their powers, none of the Titans could even get out due to the powerful effectiveness of the lockdown. If someone even attempted to get out/blow a hole through a wall/ escape, then it would send a massive electrical current throughout the tower, rendering everyone unconscious.

"I think I can manage to override the password as well as the whole lockdown state, but it's gonna take at least a couple of hours", said Cyborg.

"Looks like you're on your own Beast Boy…" said Robin, looking down at the ground, with no hope of getting out. He clenched his fists in anger, but like it or not, there was nothing that he, or any of the Titans could do now.

**Back to Red X…**

"TERRA! WAKE UP!" yelled Alex once again, but it was to no avail. By now, he was forced to move them to multiple rooftops as the abyss only expanded, taking building after building with it.

"_Nothing's working! Come on Terra! Don't do this! The world needs you! I need you!" _Taking a deep breath, Alex looked into her eyes, and didn't need his mind to analyze the situation to know what he must do. Concentrating, he withdrew his mask back into his body, and leaned in close to her, placing his lips on hers abruptly, losing himself in the sensation he felt with kissing her. _"I…I never imagined it would feel like this….."_ He withdrew, noticing that her eyes had closed, and the tremors to the earth had ceased. _"I hate to do this to you Terra…I know you love Beast Boy, and probably will never feel that way towards me…but….Ahhh…I just don't know…." _He stood up, and concentrating once more, the mask emerged from his face, veiling it from the outside world. He turned, and looked down at all of the destruction he had indirectly caused. _"If only Dad could see me now….I'm a total failure to him and his legacy….. This journey to the past…what am I to make of it?" _

Terra struggled to open her eyes; she was in so much pain. Memories of what had happened before began to flood her mind. _"I…I caused all that destruction…..I….it was all because of me….." _As she rubbed her head, and began to slowly stand up, one memory came to her mind….. _"Red X…..He…he…k-kissed me… I don't understand….Why would he do something like that? Does he…actually care for me? I didn't even get a good look at his face…."_

Alex turned around, overjoyed on the inside that Terra was all right. But he saw that look in her eyes. The look of guilt, shame, and resignation that he was all too familiar with was present on her face. _"She must think that it's all her fault….I've got to try and help her…..What would Dad say?" _

"Terra", he began in his "Red X" voice. "I know what you're thinking. You believe that it's all your fault. But it's not. The fault is all mine. This destruction…it was all caused by me. You shouldn't blame yourself, kid. You don't look as pretty when you do. Oh and don't worry, your boyfriend should be ok in an hour or two."

With those words, Alex turned again, and phased out of her sight, moving faster than she could see, and came back to the fridge in Cook's Electronics Store. "_I'll just be taking this….." _Focusing on home, he activated the teleportation power of the suit, and reappeared in his one bedroom apartment above Pizza Corner. _"Now let me get working, maybe then I can get my head off of Terra…" _Yet no matter how hard he tried, thoughts of her and that moment on the roof kept coming back to him. _"Man…those luscious lips…her eyes….she tasted like….well it's hard to describe, and her aroma….what I wouldn't give to wake up to that every morning. But it's not just her looks. Sure she's probably one of the most beautiful people I've ever seen, but it's what's on the inside that counts….She…I guess she just reminds me of myself….and the good inside me…..When I'm around her…even as Red X, I don't feel alone in the world….. What am I doing thinking about her? Focus Alex, focus! This scanner isn't going to make itself you know!" _ But he was wrong. While he had been lost in thought, he had subconsciously made the scanner already and tried it out several times. It seemed that even though he was deep in thought, his mind was on autopilot. _"Wow? J=How'd that happen? Hmm…I wonder how ,y Xynthonium reserves are at…." Xynthonium levels are stable at 251%. Approximate suit use allowed before substance exhaustion: 7 hours, 3 minutes….. "7 hours? That's not nearly enough time….If I'm going to try and make renewable Xynthonium, I'm going to need more time in the suit and more of the substance as well! Well, I guess that's what the scanner's for…." _ He turned the scanner on, hoping that some of the substance was located nearby. _"Well….it says here that the nearest Xynthonium is about 5 miles outside of Jump…..But that can wait for a while….I still need to get Terra out of my head….." _Unable to fall asleep, Alex, before he knew it, found himself fully garbed in his Red X suit and out on the rooftop of Pizza Corner, looking out at the destruction that had occurred that afternoon. _"Well, with all that destruction, maybe…just maybe I'll be able to find some more parts for the scanner…" _And so, Alex set forth once again, using the "get more parts for the scanner" simply as an excuse for what he truly wanted: the adrenaline, the feeling that came when he first "permanently borrowed" the things from the electronics store…..

**Meanwhile: Back At Titans Tower (that afternoon)**

After the experience in Jump City, Terra brought the still frozen Beast Boy with her back to the Tower. _"I wonder why Red X did that…He almost sounded…well…sorry that he did it…And he called Beast Boy my…boyfriend…He's not my boyfriend…right? I still can't believe it…My first kiss….was..with someone who I don't even know…But I can't help but feel attracted to him somehow. It's…like he knows what I've been through, and can read me like a book…..Has he ever been abandoned before?" _She was deep in thought, and because of this, she hadn't noticed that lockdown mode was still on in the tower. She simply thought that no one was home, and so sat down outside of the tower, with the still cryogenically frozen Beast Boy gradually thawing out. _"That's strange. I wonder where the rest of the Titans are…Didn't BB call them for help when we ran into X before?"_

**Inside Titans' Tower**

By now, all of the Titans had fallen asleep on the couch, exhausted from trying to…well….just exhausted, with the exception of Cyborg.

"I think I got it! BOOYA!" yelled an excited Cyborg.

"LOCKDOWN MODE ENDED"

**Outside the Tower**

Terra carried the thawing Beast Boy into the Tower, finding a slightly disheveled Robin, a meditating Raven, a cooking Starfire, and an excited Cyborg.

"TERRA! I am so glad that you are not hurt!" yelled Starfire.

"What happened to Beast Boy?" asked Robin.

"Apparently", Terra answered, "Beast Boy said you were right. Red X happened. After seeing Beast Boy brought down by him, I just got so….angry…and as a result probably destroyed almost a quarter of the city with an earthquake. Luckily, I was able to stop myself somehow…." Terra looked down at the ground, feeling guilty both because of what she had done, and because of the fact that she left out what X had done for her. She didn't know why, but she just didn't say it.

"Aww….Don't worry, it's not your fault Terra", said a smiling Cyborg. "We'll get the city fixed up in no time."

"Something just doesn't add up though", said a now pacing Robin. "Slade said that he didn't recreate the Red X suit, but then how could there be another Red X?"

"Well maybe Slade was lying. You can never guess with Slade…." said Raven, now joining their conversation.

"No, I'm certain that Slade has nothing to do with it", said Robin. "Or else both he and X would've already attacked us by now. Which only leads to –"

Robin was cut off by an alarm sounding in the tower.

"Robin! It's X! He's back and robbing the Bank of Perez!" yelled Cyborg.

"Starfire! You stay behind and help thaw out Beast Boy! Everyone else, let's stop whoever this new Red X is! Titans GO!" yelled Robin.

**Back to Red X/Alex**

"_Well, this isn't exactly what I had in mind when I needed to get more parts for the scanner. I hardly doubt that bags of money will help me….If anything, all that it will do is get the Titans on my case…I wonder why they're not here yet…I mean, I purposely triggered all of the alarms and knocked out all the guards too! Why aren't they here yet?" _Alex had two bags of money slung over his shoulder, and slowly made his way out of the bank, patiently waiting for the Titans to arrive on the scene. "_Ahhh…there they are…." _The Titans came to the scene, face to face with him. _Subject: Teen Titans Status: Hostile. It is advised that you proceed with caution when dealing with them. Possible Actions: Exploit their weaknesses somehow by trying to isolate them. Alone, they can be beaten, but together, victory is highly improbable for you._ _"Alright, time to get this show on the road!"_ Alex, concentrating on smoke/fog/mist, fired five Xs off at the Titans, and they exploded mid-air, providing enough smoke for cover. He quickly phased behind Beast Boy, tapping the changeling on the shoulder.

"Huh? Who's there?" he asked, turning around.

Beast boy was greeted with a fist to the face, a sweeping kick to his legs, and a knee to his stomach, all of which were far too fast for him to see. Beast Boy collapsed to the ground, unconscious from the pain.

"_1 down, 5 to go….." _In the cover of the smoke, the Titans had attempted to stay together, yet no matter what they tried, the smoke drowned out any light, canon, noise, or torch, leaving them "blind" and at the mercy of their enemy. They became separated from each other, and easy prey for Red X. Moving on from Beast Boy, he phased behind Cyborg, who was trying to find his way out of the smog/smoke. _Subject: Cyborg. Composition is 50% man, 50% machine. Runs on Power cells rather than what a normal human would run on. Possible Action: Exploit his reliance on energy, and force him to overexert himself, causing him to "blow a surge". _Alex, raising his hand and focusing on the concept of battery consumption, placed an X on Cyborg's back, causing each movement Cyborg made to have 10,000 times the effect it normally would on his power cells. Cyborg turned around, and the last thing he saw was Red X before his mind went black due to the overexertion of his power cells….

"_2 down, who should be next?" _He didn't have to make up his mind, for Raven wandered into the area, tripping over Cyborg.

"I know you're here X….Azarath, Metreon, Zinthos!" she yelled, and the whole area began to be enveloped in negative energy.

"_Hmm…interesting…So it appears that she has superb control over negative energy….The suit produces negative energy as well…..But then that means that…if enough positive energy is applied to her negative energy, a power struggle will ensue, with the loser being rendered unconscious…." _Focusing on the concept of positive energy, Alex pressed 5 Xs onto the floor, and as Raven's attack enveloped it, a large flash of light suddenly occurred, and Raven fell to the ground, completely exhausted from the power struggle that had just occurred.

Alex locked onto his next target amidst the smoke, and phased to the right of Starfire. She fired multiple star bolts at him, which he dodged effortlessly. _"It looks like Starfire uses positive energy, which is the inverse of Raven's negative energy….So if the same concept applies, then that means the same thing will happen to Starfire if she comes into contact with too much negative energy….." _Before Starfire could even comprehend what was going on, Alex phased behind her, and placed an X on her back, all the while focusing on the negative energy Raven had used before. When Starfire attempted to fly to get away from him, she collapsed to the ground, just as Raven had before.

"_Hmm….there's only two left…." _He phased behind his next target, and his fist was about to connect with her, when he noticed who it was. He stopped himself, and lowered his fist, visibly shaken from what he was about to do.

"I'm sorry…." He said in his "Red X" voice. "I just…can't do this to you…"

As he was about to turn and leave Terra alone, the gleaming of metal to his right caught his eye. Within seconds, Robin emerged from the smoke, performing a jump fly kick, which Alex raised his hand and blocked effortlessly. Robin however, recovered quickly, and tried a punch to the gut, which to his dismay, his opponent had blocked as well. _"Hmm…maybe I'll humor him for a little bit…." _Alex slowed himself down, making sure that he matched the speed of Robin. IN the ten minutes that followed, they exchanged blow for blow, although one was clearly giving it his all while the other was only giving a half-hearted effort.

But as the fight continued, Alex came to a realization. _"Wait a minute…Didn't father say that he was a Teen Titan? The hair….that voice….My father's…..Robin? Oh shit…" _Seeing that Robin was beginning to get exhausted, Alex dodged Robin's next blow by phasing behind his dad, moving faster than even Robin could see, and with a quick chop to the neck said:

"Sorry, kid. It's been real, but I've got to go."

Alex went and found the bags of money, and left the Teen Titans, defeated at the Bank of Perez…

"_Hmm….now what to do with this money….Dad probably wouldn't want to spend it on anything frivolous, maybe a charity…" Reminder: Xynthonium levels are stabilized at 200%. "Damn it, looks like I've got to get that Xynthonium after all…." _He began his journey to the outskirts of Jump City, intent on getting the rare substance…..

**The Next Morning**

"Robin! Look at this!" yelled Beast Boy, holding the daily newspaper.

Robin read the front page which said:

_Mysterious Donation left to the Jump City Orphanage on Behalf of Dick Grayson. Donation is a total of 2.5 million dollars!_

"Guys wait, wasn't that the same amount that Red X stole from he Bank?" asked Cyborg.

"It is", replied Robin. _"How the Hell does Red X know who I am?"_

**End Chapter**

Hope you guys enjoy this one! Sorry, it's another filler, but the real plot's coming soon, so please, any feedback is much appreciated!


	8. Chapter 8: A Second Chance

The Forsaken Hero

**Disclaimer: I do not own the show Teen Titans (and probably never will), nor do I own any of the characters within the show (just putting that out there for you guys right now….) despite my own preferences….I used some dialogue from episode 23, but then I kinda well...changed some stuff.**

(A/N: Thanks for all the reviews, and I know I promised another update real soon, but sorry, this has taken a while! Plus with work and everything, I can't write as much as I like. But that's besides the point. I'm sure a bunch of you are wondering: Where's the story going to go? Was last chapter even a filler, it seemed more like a real chapter? When are you going to bring Slade's plot into the mix? Is Red X ever going to return to the future? Why are there times when X is so badass, and times where he just gets beaten to the pulp? Rest assured, with an exception to the last one, all of these questions will be answered in future chapters. (I still can't figure out the last one myself…..) I don't want to drag this story out, nor do I want to make it extremely short either. I'm trying to strike a balance, I think/guess/hope. But what does this mean? Well it means that instead of continuing this note, I should actually begin writing the next chapter. I might even redo the earlier chapters, but that's for the future…..)

Chapter 8: A Second Chance

The adrenaline. The rush. These were two feelings that Alex had never felt before becoming Red X, and they were not things that he would relinquish willingly. _"Is what I'm doing wrong? I'm committing crime after crime, theft after theft, but why? Is it simply because I'm bored?" _ For the past several weeks, Alex had been committing various thefts across Jump City, but never keeping the things that he stole. Instead, he always donated them to charity. _"But still…Why do I do these deeds? They're not those which a hero would do….These crimes originally began as a way for me to help the world, albeit in an indirect way, but now? I'm stealing money, shoes, museum artifacts, and basically everything under the sun, but it's not out of necessity…No…it's because of something else…I guess the reason that I'm doing all of these things is…well…because the adrenaline…the rush….they keep my mind off of being alone….But…I'm….being selfish…Dad would put the world first, and here I am, putting myself before the rest of the world…All for some relief from the pain of loneliness? Yeah…Is it too late for me to stop this? In other words, is it too late for me to become a true hero? Hmm…maybe I can change…..Dad told me that I had to save this world from Slade, and that's what I plan to do…But how can I stop this urge for the adrenaline? By being a criminal or a hero?"_ As he was lost in thought, the memories of Alex's interactions with the Titans all came back to him, but one, in particular, stood out….

_~~Flashback~~_

"_Titans GO!" yelled Robin as the Teen Titans went and tried to launch attacks him, all to no avail. _

_Robin, Beast Boy, and Cyborg charged head on at him. (Subject: Three Teen Titans charging at you. Due to their foot alignment and slow speed, there is a high probability that this action will serve as a distraction. It is advised that you pay more attention to Terra, Starfire and Raven. Be prepared for projectile attacks. Possible Action: Due to the likelihood that this is one of Robin's plans, cause his plan to fail, and then in the confusion following the failure, make your move, for it is then that they are most vulnerable…..) The normal thing to do would have been to face the 3 charging Titans down, attacking them in order to stop their charge. But doing so would leave his back wide open to an attack. Therefore, Alex did what everyone had not expected, and turned to run away. _

_Alex sprinted away from the scene, knowing that one of them, most likely his father since he was the most impulsive one, would follow him, trying to settle the score. The confusion set in, as all the members were slightly befuddled with how to capture Red X, who had eluded them many times before. Looking back over his shoulder, he saw that his assumption was correct. There was his teenage father, chasing him from rooftop to rooftop. The rush, the thrill of the chase, set in, and Alex couldn't help but grin as he managed to evade every attack Robin threw at him, whether it was a bird-a-rang, a lunge, or even something from his utility belt. He began to purposely goad Robin into throwing everything he had at him, and made it a point to show him just how obsolete his devices were. _

_But in the middle of their rooftop run, Alex stopped, and turned around. A loud noise had occurred at the spot where he and Robin had left behind the other Titans. Robin, however, was not one for stopping, and saw it as an opening. Still running, he cocked back a fist, and with all his might, launched himself at his enemy, only to be shocked when Red X had grabbed his punch mid air as if it were nothing._

"_Enough of these games Robin! Did you hear that noise back there? The Titans could be in some serious danger! You need to go back and help them with whatever Slade has thrown their way while we had our little rooftop chase! Your team needs you!" yelled Alex, not caring about maintaining his even keel tone, which the Titans had become accustomed to as time passed._

_Robin, however, refused to listen to reason, and tried to kick Alex in the side, only to have his blow parried once more at the last second. "You're going down NOW!" Robin yelled._

_Still holding Robin's fist in one hand, and parrying his kick with his other hand, Alex began to boil with anger, which was a feeling he had never felt towards his father before, both present and future. "Are you so set on taking me down that you're willing to forego the safety of your team? You're supposed to be their leader! Not some simple vigilante out to settle a personal vendetta!" Alex, in his anger, ripped off his mask. "Fine then! Look me in the eyes! You once told me that you have to put those around you before yourselves! I don't care what you think now! I'm going back to help them, and you don't have to come for all I care father!" _

_Letting go of Robin's fist, Alex placed his mask back on, and concentrated on the spot where he knew the Titans were at, leaving Robin alone, confused, and disappointed in himself….._

_~~End Flashback~~_

Alex sighed to himself as he stared up at the ceiling of his apartment. _"I had always thought I could be a hero, but look at me now…I'm a pizza delivery boy by day, a criminal by night….I'm no hero…." _

**Meanwhile at Titans' Tower**

Alex was unaware that another teen was having similar thoughts. _"How could I have endangered the team like that? If X hadn't returned to help them, they might not even be alive! Why am I now obsessed with Red X? He took off his mask…like it was nothing to him… and I noticed his eyes….they were full of emotion…Sadness, anger, hate, disappointment, all directed at me….He called me father…..How is that even possible? But the main thing is, when push comes to shove, will I abandon my team again?" _ Robin's thoughts drifted back to that one night, which he deemed his greatest failure.

_~~Continue Flashback~~_

_Robin ran as fast as his legs could carry him, trying as hard as he could to reach his teammates where he had last left them. He leapt from rooftop to rooftop, not thinking about vengeance against Red X, but hatred at himself. What if someone was seriously hurt or injured? In all of the encounters with Red X, it almost seemed like he made sure that none of the Teen Titans were injured—he almost always knocked them out instead of doing something more dangerous to them. But now, when things got serious, it seemed like X was concerned for their safety, which was not something Robin could ever understand. Why would Red X shift his mentality all of a sudden? _

_Robin raced back to the rest of the Teen Titans, only to see that his worst fear was realized. It was Slade, throwing barrage after barrage of attacks at the Titan, and one by one, each of them fell to the ground. Slade was about to deliver the fatal blow, which would end Beast Boy's, Cyborg's, Raven's, Starfire's, and Terra's lives, when Red X jumped in between Slade and the fallen Teen Titans, engaging the man in one on one combat. Robin was about to jump in and help X fend off Slade, but their movements were too fast for him to see, so he turned back to his teammates, hoping against hope that they had not been seriously hurt by Slade. _

_**Meanwhile With X…**_

"_Ahh…So you're Red X…..I would assume that you were Robin, but even Robin does not currently possess the speed that you have. So who are you then? Let's see how you fare against me", said Slade. _

"_I won't forgive you for what you've done Slade!" yelled Alex, thinking back to the fact that it was Slade who had killed his father in the future._

"_Such strong emotions! And here I thought you were just another petty criminal….I wonder why you care about these Teen Titans so much…I've been watching you the past couple of weeks, and I know that you could take the Teen Titans out whenever you wish, but you keep letting them survive. I think it's because you enjoy the attention. But still, the Teen Titans are no reason for us to fight." Slade was totally unaware of just how badly Alex thought of him. _

"_You….YOU'RE A MONSTER!" yelled Alex, phasing to the right of Slade, and unleashing a flurry of punches and kicks, all of which Slade blocked._

_The two exchanged blow after blow, at speeds that no normal human could even see. (Subject: Slade's Fist, incoming to your right midsection) Alex blocked Slade's fist and responded with a hurricane kick towards Slade, which Slade caught easily and then used this as an opening for another assault. (Subject: Slade. Status: Hostile. A flurry of attacks are incoming at your face.) Alex didn't have the time to thoroughly analyze Slade's attack, and was put on the defensive, which he was able to maintain for a while. Time seemed to slow down as each and every one of Slade's attacks were about to hit, and Alex would either block or evade each attack, trying to retaliate with every hit, but Slade was just as quick, if not quicker. For every one blow Alex managed o land, Slade landed five. The two exchanged a barrage of blows for several minutes, and their clash ended when Alex was sent flying into a wall, rendering him unconscious. He had improved a great deal since his fight with future Slade, but it still hadn't been enough. _

_("Hmmm….this one is different..") thought Slade. ("If it weren't for his horrible technique, he might have stood a better chance….I will need to watch him more closely….") Slade disappeared from sight, unaware that Robin had been watching the whole time, focused on how he would use Red X in his plans. _

_**Meanwhile With Robin…..**_

"_I can't believe it….Red X is so fast, and so is Slade…But Slade….he won….What are his plans?" asked Robin to no one in particular, since everyone else was unconscious. Robin yelled in frustration, as he picked up all the Titans and returned them to the tower, placing each of them in their beds before collapsing on his own, completely unconscious._

_~~End Flashback~~_

It had been 1 month since that encounter with Slade and the Titans, and for some reason, Alex couldn't get it out of his head. Was it the fact that he was beaten by Slade? Partially. But the real reason, was something that only he could explain within his own thoughts. _"I'm…a failure….Dad told me to stop Slade in this timeline, and I failed him…I could've been training, working on anything to give me an advantage over Slade, but instead, I placed myself before the world." _He found himself staring at the Xynthonium scanner and the unfinished project to it's left, which was supposed to make the substance renewable. _"I haven't even finished the Xynthonium replicator, which is supposed to be installed within the suit, and as long I have a grain of Xynthonium in the suit, it will replicate the substance at a rate of 50 grams per second. I haven't even analyzed the Xynthonium itself_ yet_…I've been enjoying myself on these crimes for far too long now…I've got to rededicate myself…..I've got to become a hero….." _For the past several weeks, Alex had been dealing with a growing pain, a soreness that consumed his entire body, after using the Red X suit each time. He assumed that the pain was as a result of his body's way of coping with this new "exercise". _"Damn it…I'm late for work…Better get going…" _He quickly got dressed and went downstairs, delivering pizzas once again.

"Alex, we've got ten pizzas ready to be delivered! I hope you're up to the task!"

"Don't worry sir, you can count on me!" replied Alex, forcing a smile out. His body still ached from his encounter with Slade, but he set off on his job regardless of that. _"At least this will stop me from moping because I'll actually be doing something…. I think when I finish work, I'll finally get to work on that Synthetic Xynthonium Replicator… And maybe ice down my entire body….."_

**At Titans Tower**

"I still wonder why X hasn't struck again yet guys", said Beast Boy as he was sitting 4 feet from the television, playing one of his favorite video games.

"I don't know…..", said Robin. "It's just like, I mean something changed in him during that encounter with Slade. On the rooftops, he threw away "what he called a game" and told me to return to help you guys. But I didn't and tried to fight him. And then he just snapped, turning into a totally different person. He took off his mask and looked me in the eyes, and when I looked into his eyes, I didn't see a normal criminal, I saw something different….And then he left and fought off Slade, but failed…."

"I know what you're saying….I've got a feeling that X isn't totally evil. I mean, he makes sure not to hurt us when he commits his crimes, almost as if he wants us to keep coming back, And there are a couple of times when he did save me, just like that time when I almost leveled Jump City. I'm sorry I haven't told you guys this before, but…it was X who managed to make me stop the destruction, and it's something I just won't forget", said Terra, looking down at her feet.

The Titans were shocked at Terra's confession, and for the first time, they began to see Red X in a different light, not as a pure criminal.

"Wait!" said Starfire. "You said that you saw Red X's face, did you not? SO is he anyone that we would know?"

"No…No…I've never seen him before…" replied Robin, lying to the rest of the team. He knew that face….Red X was the pizza delivery boy. _"Damn it! Red X used to be like any other criminal, and I would not have hesitated to bring him in at any moment. But, that raw emotion he showed on that rooftop. That hate, anger, sadness, and….loneliness, all directed at me. Why? I should tell the team what I know, but I…I just can't. I don't know why…." _

"Hey! Who's hungry? Let's order some pizza!" yelled Cyborg.

**Back to Red X/Alex **

"Alex! We've got the normal big delivery for Titans Tower!"

"Again? That's twice in one day! Alright Boss, I'm on it!" _"Darn it…..I'm going to have to face the Titans all over again….Plus, Robin already knows who I am, and if I know Dad, he'll want to get to the bottom of why I called him "father" in the first place. And Terra will be there too…..Why must my life suck so much? Ah well….I guess I knew I'd have to face them eventually. I mean, for the past month I haven't stolen anything…..I've been too busy thinking to indulge myself further. Well, here I go…"_

Alex began pedaling on his bicycle towards Titans' Tower, completely unsure of what would happen when he reached there. On the way he bought a newspaper, to read while he was riding. _"I know this probably isn't the safest thing, but hey…multitasking for the win!" _As he began reading, he noticed that over the past couple of days, villains had attacked the city, but all were stopped almost single-handedly by Terra. _"Wow…I guess she's got her powers under control now…..I've got to keep moving before this pizza starts to get cold. It's still a wonder to me how 6 teens can consume 50 pies of pizza again…." _

**Meanwhile Back inside Titans' Tower**

The rest of the Titans went off to their rooms, leaving Terra in their living room all by herself. _"I can't believe what I'm about to do…..If only the Titans knew…Would they still be my friends?"_ Sighing to herself, she opened up her laptop and began typing something. When suddenly, there was a knock to the door. _"Oh no!" _Terra began to panic, quickly clicking the send button and closing the laptop before coming to the door, opening it to reveal Beast Boy. _"I wonder what he's doing here…What does he want?"_

"Hi…."said a nervous Beast Boy.

"Hey…" replied Terra, with a quizzical look on her face. As Beast remained

silent for several seconds, she continued. "Umm…Ok, it was nice talking to you!" _"Wow. That was really awkward…." _She turned around, and began to walk awkwardly back into the living room.

"Gah!" screamed Beast Boy, flailing his arms repeatedly before taking out a package from behind his back. "Wait…I…kinda made you something…."

"You did?" asked Terra, turning back around towards Beast Boy. _"That's…so nice….No one's ever cared enough to make me something before, not even Red X…." _

"Yeah, I….kinda got carried away with the glue gun", replied Beast Boy, grinning sheepishly and rubbing the back of his head with one of his hands.

Terra opened the package Beast Boy gave her, and she revealed it to be a silver heart shaped box with a mirror on the inside (A/N: I'm really bad with descriptions….) _"Whao…This is so…nice! I can't believe it!"_

"Beast Boy! It's…I don't know what to say!"

"You could say yes", said Beast Boy, as a blush formed on his face. "Cuz I'm about to ask you out on a date." "So….uh…want to do something tomorrow night?"

"Beast Boy…I'm sorry…I can't…", she replied, leaving a devastated Beast Boy alone in the hallway. _"I can't…I…don't want to hurt him. He tried to help me before when I was confused and ashamed of myself. I…don't want to see him get hurt if he finds out who and what I really am."_

**Back To Alex/Red X**

"_Almost there…..Only 5 more miles to go…Wait, what's that?"_ He abruptly stopped his bicycle, hearing the sound of punches and gunfire in a nearby alleyway. _"Damn…Hope the pizza doesn't get too cold…" _Making sure no one was around, Alex concentrated, clenching his fists, and was enveloped in negative energy, as the suit emerged from within his very being. _"Looks like another gang war…..This might take a while because I've got to make sure no one gets hurt…." _Sighing to himself, Alex ran off into the alleyway, leaving his fifty boxes of pizza behind.

**Back to Titans' Tower **

"_Beast Boy…He just asked me out on a date…It's different from before…Last time, he just anted to comfort me…..This time…well…I don't know….He's…He's always been there for me…..I…just don't know." _She stared down at her hands, sighing deeply. _"I don't want Beast Boy to get hurt, but if I shun and void him now…I'm still hurting him….And, I do care about him…greatly…..He's my best friend, and I think I might want us to become more than just friends….It's settled then…I'll go up to his room and ask him if he wants to go out tonight…" _

Terra floated up on a rock until she was outside of Beast Boy's window, looking in and hearing everything that went on….

"IDIOT! IDIOT! HOW COULD YOU MESS THAT UP!" yelled Beast Boy, pointing to himself in the mirror. "ALL YOU HAD TO DO WAS KNOCK ON THE DOOR AND SAY—"

Terra watched as Beast Boy ran through multiple scenarios of what he should have said, and couldn't help but giggle from observing his antics. _"He…went through all that trouble just to try to go out with me…I guess…I guess he must really like me…"_

"ANYTHING WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER THAN GIVING HER A STUPID GLUE COVERED BOX and acting like a goober! Now…she'll never go out with me…." yelled Beast Boy to himself as he brought his hands to his head, shaking it in frustration.

He turned to see Terra there, floating outside his window.

"Umm…How long have you been standing there?" asked Beast Boy.

"It doesn't matter. Want to go up?" she replied, beckoning him to come forward.

"Wha…..Sure! I mean…that's cool." Beast Boy was obviously ecstatic about Terra's change of heart. _"I can't believe it….She actually changed her mind…..Maybe she feels the same way that I do about her….."_ "But….Why didn't you just knock on my door?"

"Do you trust me?" she asked, holding out her hand to him.

"More than anyone I've ever met", was his reply as he took his hand, and together, they floated off into the night on her rock. "So…you wanna catch a movie?"

**Back to Red X**

"_Damn it! What's going on? My body….it just feels like I'm…I don't really know….It's just this pain in my chest…What could it be? Fuck!" _Alex clenched his chest in pain. _"Ah well, at least those two rival gangs are taken care of….Now I need to deliver that pizza…." _ Making sure that no one was around, Alex quickly focused on himself, causing the suit to retract within his very being, in mind, body, and soul.

**Back to Titans Tower**

Cyborg opened the door to the living room, walking over to the fridge in the kitchen.

"Man! I'm starving! Why is pizza taking such a long time to get here? Ah well, nothing a foot long ham and jerky sandwich won't solve

", he said, smiling to himself.

He took the food out of the fridge, and looked up, only to see 200 Slade Bots staring him down.

"Oh no…"

**Back to Beast Boy and Terra**

"When you asked me out, I didn't know that you had meant out of town", said Beast Boy, as the two stared off into the distance.

"Looks cool, doesn't it?" replied Terra. "Guess sometimes you have to leave a place to really appreciate it…" she sighed. "Ya hungry?" she asked.

"Always"

The two found themselves walking into Ben's Burger Shop, a somewhat western-themed restaurant, where the two sat at the bar. The bartender handed them two menus, which caused Beast Boy to frown.

"Uhh…Don't suppose you got veggie burgers?" Beast Boy asked.

The bartender just glared at him, thinking the boy was a complete idiot.

"Don't worry Pam", said Terra, coming to the save. "We'll just take the usual."

"So…I guess you've been here before" said Beast Boy.

"I've been everywhere before. I was quite the traveler before I became a Titan, remember?"

"Ok" said Beast Boy, curious about what Terra had just said. "Where's the coolest place you've ever been?" he inquired.

"Don't know…."She sighed, and her smile quickly turned into a frown. "Probably Titans Tower…. " _"Stupid! Don't frown! Try to cheer him up somehow! Don't hurt him like the last time he took you out!" _"But hey! There's some really cool places around here too! Maybe if you're nice, I'll take you on the tour!" said a now smiling Terra.

The bartender, Pam, placed two pieces of pie in front of the two teens, and Terra handed Beast Boy a spoon, saying:

"Dig in."

"This….is the greatest pie…in the history of pies" said Beast Boy after he took his first bite.

"There's a place about 200 miles from here on the outskirts of Gotham that makes a mean cherry! But for Apple, this is the best there-" She began to dig in, and looked up at the mirror of the bar, only to see the one thing she feared the most: Slade. _"No….It can't be…..Not him!" _ She yelped in fear, and quickly turned around, but Slade was nowhere to be seen. Greatly disturbed by this, she put money on the counter to pay for the pies, and grabbed Beast Boy's hand. "Come on! Let's get out of here! The night's still young!" she said in haste, pulling Beast Boy out of the diner.

"But….PIE!" complained Beast Boy, as he was dragged out of the place, unaware that he had dropped his T-com.

"Beast Boy come in! Beast Boy!" came Robin's voice from the T-com. But Beast Boy was already long gone…..

**Back to Red X**

Alex wiped the sweat from his brow as he neared Titans' Tower with the 50 pies of pizza. _"Almost there! Just…a couple more yards!" _ As Alex neared his destination, an explosion rocked Titans' Tower. _"What the hell's going down over there? Maybe they need some h—DAMN IT!" _The pain came to Alex's chest once more, causing him to collapse off the bike in pain. Luckily, the bike crashed into a wall, but stayed upright, preventing the pizza from falling all over the floor. _"Man…why am I in such pain? Damn it…..The Titans need my help! Could this be Slade's plan that Father had told me about?" _ Still doubled over in pain, Alex concentrated, causing the suit to emerge once again from within, enveloping him in complete darkness for several minutes before it cleared, revealing a fully clothed Red X. _"The pain….it's only gotten worse….." Xynthonium levels stable at 150%. "But the Titans…father….needs me…I need to get there…" _ Alex ran quickly to Titans Tower, hoping against hope that they were still alive…..

**Meanwhile In Titans' Tower**

"Robin! What is it that we must do?"

"Damn it! How could 200 Slade Bots get through the tower's defenses!"

"We've got to keep fighting!" Titans GO!" yelled Robin, as they all ran from cover and began to deal lethal blows to the Slade Bots.

But no matter how hard they fought, there were too many Slade Bots, and through sheer numbers, they overwhelmed the Titans. There were far more than 200 Slade Bots now in the tower, and they had the Teen Titans surrounded. Things didn't look good for them, as Cyborg's power was low, Robin was physically exhausted from taking on so many Slade Bots at once, and the Slade Bots were far too close, able to react to Raven and Starfire's powers too quickly. As the Slade Bots slowly encroached on the beleaguered Titans, a large explosion racked the tower once more, and half of the Slade bots were carried off in the explosion. _"What's going on?" _thought Robin.

The smoke cleared, revealing Red X, standing alone amidst a pile of Slade Bot wreckage, who said, "Sorry about your building, kid. These robots are taken care of."

_~~Flashback~~_

"_Oh no…I hope I'm not too late" said Alex to himself as he leaped into the air, and concentrated, firing a large explosive X into the already-existent hole in Titans Tower. He landed in the tower, and saw the situation: Slade Bots. (Subject: 1,000 slade bots. Status: Dangerous, but currently blinded by the smoke from the explosion. Possible Action: It is advised that you take advantage of the situation and wipe out the robots, whose one weakness is intelligence and adaptability. "Sounds good to me…") _

_Taking advantage of the situation, Alex launched towards the nearest Slade Bot, punching a hole straight through it. He turned quickly and with a kick to the head, disabled another robot. ("Hopefully that gets their attention….")The Slade Bots began blindly firing lasers all around them at the slightest indication of noise, trying to hit Alex with the blast. But as each blast was fired, time seemed to slow down to him, and he managed to maneuver himself around every blast, moving in a certain way, which caused the Slade Bots' blasts to miss him, but hit the Slade Bots on the opposite side. ("Wow…that was really easy…It seems that they eliminated all but ten of their own number…..Time to make this quick….") He phased behind the ten remaining Slade Bots, and firing off several Xs, extinguished the threat into nothingness._

_~~End Flashback~~_

"X?" asked a surprised Robin. "What are you doing here?"

"Listen kid. Time's not really on my side", replied Alex. The pain came back once more, causing him to drop to one knee. _"Why now?"_

"Dude, are you ok?" asked Cyborg.

"I'm…I'm fine kid" Alex replied, slowly getting up. "Hey, there's only 4 of you. Where's the other two?"

"We don't know", said Robin. "Thanks for the help. Terra and Beast Boy just disappeared, and they're not answering their communicators."

"_Damn it! But if I just stopped the Slade Bots, and Beast Boy and Terra are nowhere to be found, then…that means…Slade…..I've got to find her…make sure…she's ok….." _ Alex focused on Terra, her luminescent eyes, bright smile, and voluptuous personality, and activated the teleportation power of the suit. _Xynthonium levels are stable at 120%_ He disappeared, leaving 4 befuddled teens in the now semi-destroyed Titans' Tower.

**Back With Beast Boy and Terra (10 minutes ago….)**

Terra and Beast Boy sat in a car on the Ferris wheel, as the two talked.

"Beast Boy…If you knew something bad about me, would you…still be my friend?" she asked.

"Always. I know you haven't had a lot of fun today, and I'm really sorry….It's just—" he began.

"Beast Boy, I'm right where I want to be….with you." _"He's always been there for him, and…I care for him…so much" _

They both blushed, and slowly leaned into each other, about to do what each of them wanted at that moment, when Terra opened her eyes and saw the person she feared most: _him_. She screamed, causing Beast Boy to turn around.

"Slade!" yelled Beast Boy.

"I'm _so _sorry to interrupt your _intimate _moment" he said in his ever-maddening tone.

"Stay away from her! Terra, stay back!" yelled Beast Boy as transformed into a raptor, charging straight at Slade.

"There's something she's not telling you, and if you knew, you'd leave your girlfriend right at this moment" said Slade as he evaded Beast Boy's charge, and they began to fight.

"_No…..Beast Boy…He's going to get hurt…all because of me…..But for some reason…I can't move…" _For some reason, Terra was paralyzed by fear. Beast Boy was trying to defend her from Slade, and while performing admirably, she could tell that Slade was only toying with him. _"Why…why is this happening? All I wanted was to control my powers, to save people, and look what happened!" _Tears began to form in her eyes when she saw that Slade was done playing games. He started to punch Beast Boy repeatedly, pummeling the changeling into almost nonexistence.

"And now….it's over….", said Slade as he reared his fist back, prepared to end Beast Boy's life just to spite Terra.

"_NO!"_ thought Terra.

But to the surprise of both of them, Slade's punch never landed. Instead, it was caught by…Red X.

"Well, well. What do we have here? I must say, I'm quite impressed. So I'm going to make you an offer. End Beast Boy for me, and I will make you my apprentice."

"That's it? Sure…I'm in." replied Alex, as he walked over to Beast Boy. _"Hopefully this works…. I need to save both Beast Boy and Terra…."_

"Well, what are you waiting for? _Finish _him."

To the dismay of Slade, Alex reached down and clasped Beast Boy's shoulder, then looked at Terra and activated his suit's teleportation ability, reappearing behind Terra, where he grabbed her and then teleported once more, leaving a smiling Slade alone at the theme park.

"Well….done Alex…We'll meet again soon…_Everything _is going according to plan."

**Meanwhile At Titans' Tower **

The Titans were gathered around what remained of the kitchen table, engaged in conversation.

"Why do you guys think X just disappeared like that?" asked Raven, in a somewhat uninterested tone.

"I think that perhaps he may have disappeared in order to save both Terra and Beast Boy, do you think not?" asked Starfire.

"HEY! And where's the pizza!" yelled Cyborg, causing the rest of the team to fall down anime-style.

Just then, Alex, Terra, and an unconscious Beast Boy reappeared in the middle of the destroyed living room.

"Are you guys alright?" asked Robin, as he, though injured from the previous battle, made his way to her.

"I'm…fine", she replied. "X saved us."

Their conversation was interrupted by Red X collapsing to the ground. Unconsciously, his suit withdrew, leaving his identity for all the Titans to see.

"No way", said Terra, tears in her eyes. "Red X…is Pizza Delivery Boy?"

**End Chapter **

Hope you guys seriously enjoyed this one. It took a lot longer to write. Yes, I did use some dialogue from the episode "Betrayal" (I think….) but my internet died on me, so I couldn't post this. Ot took me a while to write this, but I hope you enjoyed it. Anyways, I know I just made even more questions for me to answer, but I'll try to answer them. I'll try to update soon!"


	9. Chapter 9: An Origin Story, or Two

The Forsaken Hero

**Disclaimer: I do not own the show Teen Titans, no do I own any of the characters within the show. This is merely for entertainment purposes…(just putting that out there)**

(A/N: I know last chapter may have been a bit hectic/confusing/long/boring, but hopefully this chapter will help to explain some stuff.)

Chapter 9: An Origin Story, or Two

(A/N: The following chapter takes place when Robin is approximately 23 years old)

Robin sat, deep in thought. He had just lost another battle to Slade, and in doing so, all of Blüdhaven had been decimated by the evil villain. Determined to protect his three year old son as well as change the world, Robin went to one of the only cities still standing against Slade's plan for world domination: Gotham. The only reason Gotham still stood a fighting chance was because of Batman. With Superman and all the other super powered beings virtually wiped out, only Batman, Robin, and several others remained, though their efforts were in vain.

"Master Grayson, shall I get you something to eat or drink?" asked Alfred, Bruce Wayne's (Batman's) butler.

"No thanks Alfred, I've got to keep working on retooling this suit."

"But why sir? Isn't the suit sufficient enough?"

"Normally, it would be Alfred, but I think that this must be done. Not for me, but for my son….Alex."

"Your son? Why? Isn't the world already unfixable? Ever since Slade took over the world, the remaining heroes have been picked off one by one! Do you want that fate for your son as well?" asked Alfred once more.

"The thing is, Alfred, my son, is…different. Thanks to Slade, all the super-powered heroes have been killed off, except for my wife, his mother. But Alex can make the difference that we remaining heroes can't! He has a gift! A power that can change the world! I don't want any of this for him! I want him to grow up in a world that's safe, void of evil, but thanks to Slade, it's impossible!" yelled a frustrated Robin.

"I understand Mater Grayson, but what kind of power do you think your son possesses?

"It's strange Alfred. I believe that Alex has the power of time control, but his control and use of it is purely as a subconscious reaction to danger. As time develops, I believe that he will slowly gain more access to this ability, although for now, all I believe that he can do is see things in slow motion, nothing else. That's all I've observed so far. He may never have full control over time, but even if he gains some semblance of control, I think that may be enough to topple Slade, to save the world!" said Robin.

"Alright Master Grayson. I presume that pork chops are alright?" asked Alfred as he turned and began to walk away.

"No it's oka—alright Alfred. Pork Chops are fine", replied a sighing Robin.

"_Maybe Alfred's right….Maybe it isn't my right to expect my son to do all these things, to make him the person I want him to be :a hero. But I can't turn back now. I'm visiting Gotham to finish remodeling the suit. But since only Alfred's around today…..I can only hope that I finish the suit before Slade finds and finishes me himself." _ Robin laid the suit on a table, and began working on it. _"I remember how well this suit worked for me, but what about for Alex? He will have to face villains that I could never even dream of taking on…. Ok…so based on an analysis of Alex's growth rate, by the time he reaches maturity, he will be approximately 6'3 180 lbs. However, I plan to give the suit to him before then. Perhaps I can do this…." _ Robin attached a piece of Alex's DNA to the suit, forever entwining the two. _"Ok so now, the suit will become a part of him, and vice versa. The suit will grow with him, and he will grow with the suit. The two will become one…..However, I do have some reservations about this. What will happen at first when the two come into contact is virtually unknown. The effects may kill him…..But it's a risk I have to take….I don't want to do this…But I've got no choice…..Slade MUST be beaten in order for the world to be a better place…" _

Using Batman's state of the art tools/technology, Robin was able to recreate the Red X suit as something different, something far greater than before. It would be forever linked to his son Alex in body, mind, and soul. It would react to his thoughts, feelings, and intentions, and would help him become whatever he wished to be.

However, not all was well in Gotham…..

"Master Grayson, there appears to be another attack on the city", interrupted a calm Alfred.

"Alright, thanks Alfred", replied Robin as he raced out of Wayne Manor, prepared to fight in vain once more.

Robin ran off in the direction of the various explosions throughout the city, suspecting that in all likelihood, the one responsible for this would be located at the epicenter of the explosions. He saw corpses littering the once-clean streets of Gotham, the now destroyed buildings, and the frightened looks of the survivors. _"Damn it! How could someone in their right mind do this to innocent people?"_ He picked up the pace, determined to put an end to all the slaughter and destruction, two things that he had to witness before when other cities fell to Slade. _"I've got to stop this!"_

But when Robin reached the epicenter, he saw the one person that he had hoped against hope would not have been there. _"SLADE!" _Robin was about to rush recklessly at Slade when someone grabbed him from behind.

"Dick, you're going to get us both killed by charging in there alone," said the person who held him back.

"Bruce! You're here!" said a relieved Robin. "Let's take him together, we can save Gotham!"

"Right. Together it is. Lead on then."

But as Robin turned around and began to run off, Batman landed an unsuspected chop to Robin's neck, knocking him unconscious. Batman Picked up the now unconscious Robin and brought him back to Wayne Manor.

"Sorry Dick, but right now, neither of us can beat Slade. The world needs a hero, but more importantly, a father is needed by his son. Goodbye Robin."

And with those words, Batman left alone, to fight Slade and defend Gotham City….

**Several Hours Later…..**

"_Where am I?" _thought Robin as he slowly opened his eyes, only to find himself in a bed. _"No….is this Wayne Manor?" _ He looked around the room and saw an unmistakable clue: Alfred's Signature Pork Chops. _"Wait…Where's Bruce? Oh no…" _Robin quickly leapt out of bed, and ran around the manor, searching desperately for Alfred.

"ALFRED! WHERE'S BRUCE!" yelled a frantic Robin when he finally found Alfred.

However, Robin did not need an answer to that question, as Alfred looked up from the ground to face him with tear-filled eyes. Batman, the man known as Bruce Wayne, was dead, murdered by the one person Robin hated the most: Slade.

"_Bruce….No…..I-I…won't let your sacrifice be in vain….I'll avenge you and everyone's deaths….." _

**Fast Forward 5 years…. (Robin is now 28)**

Ever since Batman's death, Robin had resided in Jump City with Alex and his wife, for it was the only city left standing. But with his wife now dead, Robin and Alex were left alone. It became increasingly clear that Robin was the only one left standing against Slade, and his next confrontation with the villain might well be his last. _"But even if I fall, there will be another, far stronger than I am…..Alex….. I've spent the past 5 years modifying the suit to you. I've seen that not only do you possess the ability of rudimentary time control, but you also possess a mind that capitalizes on this power. It became clear to me after watching you convert that watch into a portable television. But I know that our time together is short, and I must ensure your safety. I'll program 2 failsafe mechanisms, one normal one, and one vital mechanism that will activate when you come into contact with Slade. It will jumpstart your powers, and send you back in time to a predetermined date: a year before Slade executed his insidious plan. I am not able to tell you Slade's plan, for even if I did, going back in time will alter the time stream, and things may not happen in exactly the same way, so telling you would be more of a hindrance than a help…Slade is already attacking the city, and now I must go…I must save as many innocents as I can…I know that today will be the last day of my life….."_

**End Chapter**_  
_

****I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and sorry if it's on the short side-a bunch of stuff's going on, and I don't have a lot of time. That's why I've updated so late. The story's only going to get better, I hope...Anyways, This was an origin chapter, and maybe I should've done this one first, but for some reason, I just thought of it now! I hope it explains why Red X was sent into the past, as well as outlines just how bad the situation in the future was. However, it's a REALLY REALLY short chapter...I don't know...ANy feedback is appreciated. I'll try to update as soon as I can!


	10. Chapter 10: A New Beginning

The Forsaken Hero

**Disclaimer: I do not own the show Teen Titans, nor do I own any of the characters within the show. They are both property of…..who gives a damn anyway. You get the idea. This is basically an "I don't own this so you can't sue me" statement, I hope….. (Just putting that out there)**

(A/N: Hopefully last chapter helped to tie up some loose ends (or introduce new ones if that's the case))

Chapter 10: A New Beginning

"_Where am I? Damn….my head..it's killing me….. No wait…everything hurts…" _Alex began struggling to get up from a mysterious bed. _"The last thing I remember is saving Terra and Beast Boy from Slade…I must've blacked out….But where's the suit? Oh no…This room looks familiar now…..It can only mean that I'm at Titans' Tower, and my cover is blown….How could I be so stupid!"_ He continued to struggle, trying to sit up even though his body wouldn't let him. Hours flew by, and Alex refused to give up, trying, although his efforts were often in vain, to defy both logic and his body's wishes by getting away from the bed and escaping Titans' Tower.

"I wouldn't do that _Pizza Delivery Boy_. For the past 5 minutes, you've been trying to get up. Why? Is it because you don't like me?" asked Terra in a somewhat sarcastic but innocent tone.

"_Wait…5 minutes? I could've sworn it felt like I had been trying for hours! And…..oh no…..why does it have to be her…..Here goes nothing…..literally…"_

"Uhh….no….it's not that…I'm um…..I…uhhhh….wouldn't do that….uhh…. b-because….you're t-too p-pretty a-and I-I don't w-want t-to m-make y-you sad…WAIT…but I-I am t-trying t-to g-get a-away….Y-you're s-so b-beautiful a-and…NO…w-what am I s-saying! I-m s-such an i-idiot…..F-fine…I-I h-honestly d-don't know why….." _"You're such an idiot! YOU DON"T TELL A GIRL THAT YOU LIKE HER STRAIGHT UP! YOU'RE SO FUCKING STUPID!"_

"Y-you really think that?" she asked, as she began to blush. _"Why do I always act this way around him? He doesn't have a way with words at all! But why? Maybe it's because….well, with him, I know that he's telling the truth, and…..I can see it in his eyes…..He feels alone…just like I do deep inside even though I still have Beast Boy….." _she thought.

"O-of c-course…..I-I'm n-never awk-ward a-around a-anyone e-else…. B-but y-you're w-with B-Beast B-Boy…I-I u-understand…."Alex turned away from Terra, heart broken inside. _"She was so happy with Beast Boy…She'll never be that happy with me….The things I've done….I'm no hero like she is….I'm a bad person, someone who abused his power for his own personal gain….I've misused father's last gift to me, the suit…..And I can never live with the fact that she…the person I consider greatest hero other than father could ever be with me….She deserves someone better…She deserves a hero….." _

Terra saw Alex turn away from her, and felt the all too familiar feeling of guilt. _"Why does he think like that? Sure, he may have done some bad things, but nothing as bad as what I've done or plan to do. What would he think of me? He must think I'm a hero or something, but I'm not….If only he knew….." _Tears welled up in her eyes as she saw his tense back and scarred shoulders when he turned around and rested on his side. _"How did he get all of those? I always thought that X would be untouchable, he always seemed like that to me. But…he's scarred, it looks like he's been in so many battles…How can it be though? He doesn't seem any older than I am…" _ Terra walked up to Alex, and placed her hand on his shoulder, causing him to cringe at her touch. From reflex, Alex turned around quicker than Terra could see, and pulled her down, putting her under him as if she were a threat. By instinct, Alex raised a fist and was prepared to deal a blow, when he came to his senses.

"I'm…I-I'm so…" Before he could finish his sentence (and thought I guess…) he found himself enthralled by her eyes, those luminescent orbs with which he knew resistance was futile. He lost himself in her gaze, and was at a loss for words. A scarlet hue formed on Alex's cheeks, and no matter how hard he tried, he could not shake himself from her eyes, he could not suppress his blush, and could not form a coherent thought.

Likewise, Terra was blushing profusely as well. _"Wow…..he's looking straight at me with such passion, desire, feeling...almost as if he needs me…..he needs me to keep him sane…I never noticed how handsome Pizza Delivery Boy was until now…..That gravity-defying hair, those emerald eyes, everything about him…..is so…dreamy…Wait…I don't even know what his name is….." _ "I'd…..like to thank you…I…never had the chance to thank you for…all that you've done for me…..First it was that time you saved me from Cinderblock before I got control…And then….when I lost control….you brought me back…I….words can't express how grateful I am for you…..But….I don't even know your name…" she said, in a far more nervous and serious tone than the whimsical one she had before.

"My name…is not important", replied Alex as he leaned in closer to her face, able to keep his cool for the first time around her. _"What the hell am I doing? She's with Beast Boy….who gives a damn….." _ He locked lips with her, and time seemed to slow down to him as he took in everything about her. He was expecting her to reject him, but he was wrong. The raw emotion that he felt, the satisfaction for that ache deep with in him, everything wrong in his life seemed to be solved in that one moment in time. Unlike the first time, where Terra was unaware of the kiss, this time, she was completely aware, and although shocked at first, gradually accepted the contact and responded with even more emotion than Alex could've ever imagined. _"She…She's…so perfect….But…I-I don't deserve this….She doesn't deserve me for all that I've done….." _

The kiss was the most passionate that Alex had ever experienced, albeit he had only had three kisses in his entire lifetime. But he knew this was wrong….He knew that his interference would only result in someone getting hurt: Beast Boy.

"I'm….sorry Terra…..I…..shouldn't have done that…You don't deserve me….." he said as he broke off the kiss and stared into the lust-filled eyes of the girl still underneath him. _"NO ALEX! Don't get lost in her eyes again! How could I give in to my desires like that! Now all I've done is create a potential rift between Terra and Beast Boy if he ever found out! I'm so stupid!"_

"Don't be sorry….." she said as she leaned in, intent on initiating the contact this time around.

"Terra…we….can't…You and Beast Boy…he's a far better man than I….I've done so many things, Terra….things that if you knew about them…you wouldn't want to do any of them…I'm a murderer, a thief, and a selfish person, placing my own needs before those of the world, and you deserve far better than I… I want you so bad Terra….But here's my number…..so call me maybe…" said Alex as he focused on the apartment above Pizza Corner, and activated the teleportation power of the suit, leaving behind a very confused Terra with a phone number left on a piece of paper.

"_What have I done?" _thought Terra as she sat up on the bed where Alex had been only seconds before. _"I still don't even know his name…Pizza Delivery Boy and Red X….now I know they're one and the same…..But what about Beast Boy? I can't hurt him….I j-just can't…But if he found out about this….he would be hurt far more than he will be when Slade's plan happens soon. If only they knew what I was involved in and how I couldn't stop it…of the things I have done just to gain control of my powers...to become a hero…..But I'm so confused…..I can't help but feel this connection…almost as if Pizza Delivery Boy knows my feelings and what I've gone through….Beast Boy doesn't, but…he's always there for me…..I don't know….But I care for them both…..No matter what I do, they're both going to get hurt…no matter who I choose, the other will have to suffer the pain of loss, and I….I'll have to endure the guilt of being the cause of that suffering….."_ Terra looked down at the number that Alex had given her, thinking whether or not she should give "Pizza Delivery Boy" a call.

However, just at that moment, the rest of the Titans came into the room, shocked to see that Red X, or the pizza delivery boy from Pizza Corner as they all now knew him, was gone.

"Terra! Where'd the pizza delivery boy go?" asked Robin.

"He….He's gone…He teleported out of here just a couple seconds ago…", she replied in a somewhat depressed and sad tone, which all of the Titans noticed immediately.

"Hey Terra, you ok?" asked Beast Boy as he walked over to her and clasped her on the shoulder. _"What happened to her? Why's she acting so depressed? It must have been X…I knew he couldn't be trusted…He must have hurt her somehow, I just know it!" _"What did X do to you?"

"Nothing…He just…seemed to focus, causing the suit to emerge on his body out of nowhere, and teleported without pressing any button or anything….." she replied.

"Hey, it's ok. Let's go out and get something to eat or see a movie, just to get your mind off of things", said Beast Boy.

"Ok…." She said, as Beast Boy led her off for a "night of fun". _"Hopefully Slade doesn't show up on this date…..We were so close to kissing last time…..Terra…means so much to me…I can't stand seeing her depressed…."_

Beast Boy, Terra, and Raven left, although Raven went to meditate while the other two went on their "date", leaving the other 3 Titans in the room.

"Robin…that tech Terra was describing…..I was reading somewhere that Wayne industries is working on some similar technology to what X has, except it's another 4-5 years from completion! They're still working out the kinks to it. But everything X can do is on an advanced level. There's no way he could have stolen any tech from Wayne industries, because first of all, he'd need all of it to get past Wayne Industries' defense systems in the first place! If what Terra is saying is true, then that means the Red X suit is bonded to X in all facets of his being. He can call upon it at will, and it will emerge. It's insane! X must be a technological genius!" said Cyborg.

"But what does that have to do with the meaning of Red X? Does he not look like you in some ways Robin?" asked Starfire.

"What this means", began Robin, "is that Red X is from the future, and….that he's my son….."

**Back to X**

Alex reappeared in his apartment above Pizza Corner, completely exhausted from his endeavor. _"I should've known….Using the suit soon must have taken a lot out of me….But why? What are my Xynthonium levels?" Xynthonium levels are stable at 75% "This doesn't make any sense! I still have some of it, but why do I feel as if it is draining my life force, causing me to feel this pain? My chest…it feels like it's on fire…..I've got to stop the pain…I don't think I'll be able to use the suit for a while, just as a precaution, until I figure out why the pain originated in the first place…." _ Alex slowly walked over to the scattered experiments on his table, clutching his chest in pain all the while. _"I need to get out of this suit….Conserve the Xynthonium reserves….." _The suit quickly disappeared from the surface of his skin, withdrawing into the recesses of his body. _"Ok….that feels better….Now I need to get work on this Xynthonium replicator…..First things first things first…I need to examine the substance itself….." _Alex took the small sample of Xynthonium and placed it in a "Borrowed" microscope. _"Hmmmm…It seems here that Xynthonium has a normal composition, nothing out of the ordinary…..it appears that it is highly reactive and is able to produce so much energy due to the adaptability of the atoms that compose it. When pressure is applied to the metal, it reacts in different ways, depending on that pressure. Likewise, temperature and concentration also affect its reactions. Perhaps what the suit does is use my thoughts to change the conditions around the Xynthonium, and after facilitating a reaction, will then use the energy provided/substance created as a mechanism for what I desire to do…..But that still doesn't really explain why the element is so unstable/adaptable…..Wait…is that….movement? I could've sworn that I just saw the individual atoms move on their own accord!...That means that…Xynthonium…is alive.…But now that I know what makes up Xynthonium, it's time to get started on the replicator…..It shouldn't be too hard…..Let's see….a little titanium here….a small amount of Xynthonium as a sample for replication…..and then some…no…maybe this…YES!" _

It felt as if hours passed by as Alex was working, but subconsciously, he was controlling time, causing it to move at a slower pace than normal. IN reality, it only took him 5 minutes to finish the replicator, and integrate it into the suit. _"Well that's strange…I could've sworn I spent at least 2 hours on it…..Oh well….time to try this out….." _He focused on the Xynthonium levels, inquiring from within if the replicator was working. _Xynthonium levels at 85% and still rising. When the levels reach 100%, reserves will be built up. _ _"Well, now that I finished that, I guess I better get back to work, I wonder if the boss has hired a new delivery boy yet….." _Forcing the suit back down into the recesses of his being, he made his way downstairs, still sore from what had happened days before…

"Alex, I've got good news! You're promoted!" said the owner of Pizza Corner

"That's awesome sir! What's my new job?"

"Cashier and Head Garbage Boy!" replied his ever-enthusiastic boss.

Alex manned the cash register, and the day slowly passed by…. _"At least I don't have to make those fifty pie deliveries anymore I guess….But then…I'll never see her again….."_

**With Beast Boy and Terra**

"Hey Terra! Let's go get some pizza!" said Beast Boy as he felt his stomach growling.

"Beast Boy, doesn't X work at Pizza Corner?" asked Terra.

"Yeah, but he's the pizza delivery boy, so I just told Cyborg to order 50 pies!" replied a smiling Beast Boy, as both teens broke out into laughter over hat he had just said.

"Thanks Beast Boy, this night…was well…really fun…probably the most fun I've had since that last time before Slade showed up…..You're not paying attention to what I'm saying are you?" she asked with a smirk, and began laughing when she saw Beast Boy staring at the pizza from the window outside. "Come on, let's go get something to eat. Out of everywhere I've been, this place makes the best pizza!" She pulled his hand, and led the still-salivating Beast Boy into the store.

As they walked in, they were completely aware of who they would find there.

"Welcome to Pizza Corner, How may I…..be…of….service?"

**Back to X**

"_Damn it! Why are they here? I've got to get away, I can't ruin their relationship! What would Dad think of me if I played a part in tearing to lovers apart just for my own desire?" _ Luckily though, Terra and Beast Boy were not paying too much attention to who exactly was behind the register.

"We'll take….1 large pie…." Said Beast Boy amidst his drooling.

**Back To Terra and Beast Boy**

Terra and Beast Boy found open seats, although it didn't prove too difficult for them since there was no one in Pizza Corner except for the owner and Alex. They began to converse about everyday things, although Terra was somewhat reserved.

"Terra, so where did you go before coming to Titans' Tower?" asked Beast Boy.

"Well…I've been around….I've been to all of the major countries in Asia, Europe, and….well basically around the world, but none of them have really seemed like home." Replied Terra.

"Well, you're here now, Titans' Tower is your home", said Beast Boy.

"Thanks Beast Boy….you know…I've never had a true friend like you before….."

"Hey, we're all friends, right? I mean there's me, Robin, Raven, Cyborg, and Starfire. We're always there for you, and I'll be here for you no matter what happens", said Beast Boy.

"But what about X?" she asked.

"Well…..I don't know about X…..I saw the way he hurt you before…I never want you to get hurt again….I'll protect you from everything" said Beast Boy.

**Back to X**

Unbeknownst to the two teens, Alex had been listening to their conversation the whole time. _"Beast Boy's right….I have hurt her…Despite my efforts, she has been hurt emotionally…not physically though….I'm a monster….." _ He was holding the pie in his hand and walked over and placed it on the table. _"it's a good thing they haven't noticed me yet." _

"Enjoy this fresh pizza." _"Damn it! Why did you have to say anything!"_

"Wait….X, what are you doing here?" asked Beast Boy. "I thought that you would still be on your way to Titans' Tower by now with those 50 pies?"

"Well…guys…you see, I kind of got promoted… I'm the—"

"HEAD GARBAGE BOY! TAKE OUT THE TRASH!" yelled the owner.

"So….I should call you Head Garbage Boy now?" asked Terra with a smile.

"I guess Robin's probably already figured out who I am, so there's no point in keeping it a secret. My name's Alex. Alex Grayson" he replied with a sigh. _"At least I can speak coherent thoughts around her now….Maybe it's because Beast Boy's here…." _ "I…I gotta go….See you around, and if you need help with villains or anything…you know where I live….." He ran off to take out the garbage.

Terra and Beast Boy looked at each other with wide eyes. They were both thinking the same thought. _"He has the same last name as Robin! And he does look like him too…Is he Robin's brother?"_

**End Chapter**

I hope to keep updating, but I've hit major writer's block…It may take a while for the next one…Sorry if it's taken while/the story's repetitive/it seems redundant...I'll keep trying though...


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